


Yes Mom, I Married an Alien.

by xNoLights



Series: Gaien and Sterling [2]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Awkward Sexual Situations, Companionable Snark, Devotion, Domestic Fluff, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Healing Sex, Healthy Relationships, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Interspecies Romance, Interspecies Sex, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Married Couple, Meeting the Parents, Mental Anguish, Multi, Past Relationship(s), Post-Reaper War, Rescue, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Friendship, Size Kink, So Married, True Love, Turians, Voice Kink, injuries, lots of laughter, psychotic ex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-25
Updated: 2016-05-30
Packaged: 2018-06-04 08:12:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 40,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6649576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xNoLights/pseuds/xNoLights
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So, I suck at summaries... </p><p>This is the main story of Gaien and Sterling. After the Reaper war, he's recovering, she's basically only hanging around him because she likes him. They agreed if they both survived they would date each other... however after a very short amount of time, they say to hell with it, they could have died. So they get married, and welcome to the familial life. Sterling has a large rowdy hispanic family, Gaien isn't used to anyone. Domestic life and happiness, lots of laughter and awkward moments. Meddling family tries to break them up, fails horribly. I think anyone who has read this far will get it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You found Me

            Everything hurt, from the tips of his fringe to the tips of his talons, everything hurt on his body. He didn’t know where he was, or why it hurt, but it did. All he remembered was the face of the Banshee that he had ran up to, before a terrible pain in his gut and then nothing.  
            Opening his eyes, he looked around, white, that was all he saw, until it morphed into a room. Antiseptic hit his nose and he sighed, hospital, he was in a hospital somewhere. It meant that he was alive; it meant that somehow, a nobody like him had made it out of all that. The final battle here on earth? They’d won it, if he was in a hospital somewhere waking up, he knew that it had to be a victory, otherwise why try and save him when they were all going to die?  
            Shifting he tried to sit up, only to feel something like fire rush through him, he moved a hand to his head and held it, stinging pain… and bandages. What the hell had happened to him? he had no idea, only that he knew he was alive, and well… everything hurt and it all sucked.

            It was about an hour before someone came in and noticed he was awake. There was a rush of voices and he grimaced as a Salarian started poking and prodding him. He noticed that his entire torso was in a cast, as well as the fact his right arm was missing. That was a surreal feeling, he could have sworn it was there, however he couldn’t see it even though his brain was telling him that he was moving those fingers.  
            “Mr. Tannis! Refrain from Movement! Damaging to already injured body!” demanded his doctor as Gaien tried to sit up again. The turian man sighed heavily and just flopped back. He was bored, things hurt, he wanted to eat something sweet like nobody’s business. Things just weren’t looking so hot for him at the moment.  
            “Shouldn’t I be dead Doctor?”  
            “The amount of blood lost when you were brought in, Significant. Female Human brought you in, administered first aid, now volunteer aid here at Bellin Hospital.” He informed as he looked at the data pad.  
            “Reyes?”  
            “Hmm?” he asked.  
            “Reyes… is that her name?” Gaien asked as he tried to sit up again. The Salarian doctor shoved him back again with surprising strength. Well, either that or Gaien was very weak, and he didn’t want to think about how weak he was right now.  
            “I have no clue, short brown haired woman. Call nurses station, ask them.” He impatiently bit as he then turned to the table next to him and started filling a syringe.  
            Gaien held his mandibles tightly to his face. Hope was something stupid to have, especially since he knew she was going into the war fully hoping that she did die. He hoped it was her, by all the spirits that he knew of he hoped it was her.  
            He was given a shot, and then ordered further rest. Once stable he would be free to go, or to be brought to temporary housing. It wasn’t his idea of comfort or home; however he couldn’t argue… he didn’t have a home. No one to go back to, no one to be happy to see he lived, no one that would have missed him if he died.  
            He waited a couple of hours, trying to work up the courage and get over the fear of disappointment. If it wasn’t her… did that mean she was gone? Was that cheeky, playful woman gone? It took himself punching his own chest to get him to not keen. Sighing, he pressed the button on the arm of his bed to call a nurse.  
            “Hello, Mr. Tannis? Are you alright?” asked a feminine voice.  
            “Oh, um, Yeah!” he said feeling down, “I just had a question, is there a volunteer here named Reyes? Tall woman? Likes to laugh? Good natured? Short, kind of wild brown fringe?”  
            “Oh! Do you mean Sterling?” asked the woman.  
            Gaien nearly choked, before he said a little too excitedly, “YES! Is she here!?”  
            “Let me look for you sir.” said the woman happily as he heard typing. “She’s currently up in the maternity ward assisting in an emergency birth; shall I ask her to see you when she is finished with helping?”  
            “Yes, please… Spirits please do.” He choked out as he began to keen, his own emotions getting the best of him. Reyes was alive, and even still helping… she must be okay.

            Sterling sighed heavily as she walked back to her usual nurses station with the over flow of the war survivors. She sat down in her computer chair and then let her head hit the desk. She was wondering why she was here again, she could be back home in the states, eating a warm bowl of caldo and with fresh tortillas. She could be curled in her own bed at her mother’s home, she could be holding her cats, she could be binge watching Jurassic park as she tried to filter through all the horrors she’d seen.  
            Nope, instead she was here, because she was worried about that dumb ass alien dinosaur. Somehow he had managed to work his way into her heart, probably with that smirk, and now she was stuck with him. Well, not really, she knew she could honestly go off any time and leave him high and dry. That felt wrong though, so wrong, and terrible… and she’d hate herself.  
            He didn’t have anyone, he’d said so himself. He’d only kept hanging on because of her, and she’d told him he had her, that she cared. That meant she was there for him, and Sterling wasn’t about to go back on her word to anyone. That included the pain in the ass Tannis.  
            “Sterling, the patient in room 80 would like to see you.” Said the Asari next to her as she noticed she was finally there.  
            “Mmmm? 80? Fine…” sighed Sterling as she got to her feet and shuffled over to the room. She was so tired, she had forgotten exactly who was in said room.

            “Reyes?” asked Gaien hopefully as he heard the door open and he pushed himself into sitting position with a lot of effort and pain. He clenched his jaw however though, and waited.  
            “Mmm?” asked Sterling as she listed her head before seeing who it was. “Dios Mio! Tannis you’re awake!” she cried as she rushed to his side, tripping on a cord and face planting on the way, however she got back up and went to him.  
            Gaien started laughing as he saw her, “What happened to all that grace I watched you dance with on the battlefront?” he asked cheekily.  
            Sterling scowled at him and flicked his chest, to which he squawked at in pain and fell back. “Remember punk, I can hurt you with little to no effort right now.” She huffed at him as she blew a piece of hair from her eyes.  
            Gaien squinted his eyes at her, “What happened to the woman who was feverishly kissing me back on that ship? I miss her, bring her back, I want to be spoiled and loved on.” He demanded.  
            Sterling couldn’t help but laugh, her gaze going soft. “I’m glad you’re gonna be okay.” She told him softly as she bent her head down and kissed his forehead. “Sorry I couldn’t save your arm…”  
            “I can think of more important appendages that you saved.” He purred at her. She chuckled and just touched her forehead to his. He sighed as she did this and then relaxed.  
            “Maybe you’ll get to use it after all, hope you’re a lefty” she whispered in his ear as he started laughing but held his chest, then keening in pain.  
            “What exactly happened to me?”  
            “I don’t really know… I saw your face as I was running for cover. You were under a turned over rover.” She explained as she pulled up a chair and sat next to him. “… My superior ordered me to leave you, but I couldn’t.” she shrugged as he reached his one good hand up and caressed her cheek. Sterling held it to her face, letting him attempt to comfort her, “Three Krogan helped me flip it off you, and then I carried you to the medical station.”  
            His heart felt like it was going to burst, she really had saved him. “So you do like me.” He smiled softly at her.  
            “Of course I do, you’d have no arms right now if I didn’t.” she scrunched her nose at him and grinned as she said it. He laughed lightly at that and clicked at her.  
            “Okay, and why do I have bandages on my face?” he asked.  
            “They had to do some pretty serious surgery to save your eye, but they did, which is good.” She told him as she leaned in and nuzzled him, he closed his eyes and sighed again.  
            “Why? Wouldn’t date me if I was just the turian with the pretty _eye_?” he chuckled as she pecked at his mouth plates.  
            “No, I date you because you’re an idiot space moron.” She sang at him with a bright smile.  
            “Wait… really?” he asked a little surprised. “You… seriously want to date me?”  
            “Of course, otherwise I wouldn’t have saved you.” She snorted at him. Softly she ran her hand over his fringe and gave him a warm smile, “So get better okay? Make me fall hopelessly in love with you. Give me a reason to never hear you say you’re alone again.”  
            Gaien sighed breathlessly at her, “Oh… Reyes…” he breathed as he stroked her cheek with his thumb.  
            She leaned in and kissed him, her tongue finding his for a few brief moments before she turned away, “Give me a reason to get used to mouth plates and a long dry tongue too.” She whispered at him.  
            “Practice.” He whispered back as he brought her face down to kiss her again.  
            Sterling hummed happily, however she looked at his heart rate monitor as it started to beep faster and then laughed, beginning to straighten  
            He nipped at her lower lip as she pulled away, “I’m glad you found me.”


	2. it's not love

            “TANNIS GET BACK HERE!” cried Sterling as she raced down the hospital halls. This is of course what she got for trying to take her turian out for a walk around the gardens. Which he could use some fresh air, he’d started lobbing paper balls at the back of his doctor’s head he was so bored.  
            “MAKE ME!” he called back at her as he held the back of his gown closed and kept running. He was bored, that was a bad thing, not that poor Sterling new that. However now that he had a chance at freedom, he was going to take it, never mind the fact he was in an earth style hospital gown and it world show off his completely bare backside if he let go of the fabric.  
            “Ugh, why couldn’t you lost one of your legs?!” she cried as she charged forward and managed to get past him for a split second, her arms coming around him as he collided with her.  
            Rolling they went, all the way into a food cart. Sterling groaned as she felt almost four hundred pounds of turian on top of her. “Fucking…” she started.  
            “Spirits I wish, much more fun than this.” Groaned Gaien as he held his head, only to pull it away and find his one hand covered in red gelatinous material. “What the… hell?” he asked.  
            “Oh gods…” sputtered Sterling as she looked at his face and held her mouth. She couldn’t contain the laughter at the fact he was covered in jello, and thus covering her in it. He’d somehow speared a few of the cups with his fringe and one with a shaper end of his mandible. “Oh fucking holy Christ… You’re a mess!” she laughed as she shoved him off her and he fell on his back.  
            “Just what I wanted, to be a mess with you all over me” he huffed, clearly not pleased by how those words meant this and not something else. “Help me up Reyes…” he whined then as she started scooping up trash.  
            “No, I want you to sit there in that pile of jello and think about just how hard it’s gonna be to clean that off your ass alone.” She snickered, “And how I’m not gonna do it, how I’m going to call that nice Krogan volunteer to do it.”  
            Gaien looked at her like he was a backhanded pet, “Please don’t… Reyes… Sterling…” he keened at her, “Don’t make the bad Krogan help me, I love you… please?”  
            Sterling looked at him with a raised eyebrow, “You can’t love me, and you don’t know me enough to love me.”  
            “Sterling…” he said gently and looked at her, “Please” he whispered at her. His eyes conveying the majority of the emotions he was giving her.

            Sterling had been looking after him for almost a month now, since he’d woken up. Every day he got more and more restless until today when he had broken free. Every day she spent ever free minute of her time next to him, they would just talk, laugh, and if he wasn’t feeling all that well she would coddle him, all the nuzzling and affection he wanted. Which he demanded often, he was a cuddly guy, she liked it.  
            He was having a hard time learning how to do everything with one arm, and they were still waiting on his prosthetic to be made, which would take at least another three months. He wasn’t going to last in here much longer, not only was he a menace, there were people who could use his room. Sterling was already working on getting him somewhere else to recover… but that wasn’t going very well. She’d barely snagged the small student’s apartment. A whole one hundred square feet of cheap as cheap lodging, however she did have her own tiny kitchen and bathroom, and that was a lucky draw; she knew almost all of her co-workers lived in a form of dormitory.  
            Falling onto her knees in front of him, she sat and looked at him. “Gaien, you can’t love me. People don’t love other people that quickly.”  
            “What that quickly? Sterling, we fought together. I pulled your ass out of the fire; you flung mine out of the same one. How many times did we stay up late on that moon and burn through stims together? How many times did I rub your back as you lost your stomach contents from too many supplement drinks after a fight? How many times did you massage my hands with medigel because they were burned to shit?” he told her, “Sterling, war isn’t for other people. Some sort of weird luck brought you to me, I blame that canister.”  
            “Gaien…” She started but sighed and looked at her hands. “Look, you don’t love me; this is some sort of weird patient nurse thing.”  
            He huffed at her and scooted closer to her, “Sterling… I do. I know I do, because the thought of ever being without you again is painful. I cared so much for you back on that moon, and I knew I loved you the moment we said goodbye and my heart fell through my chest. Why don’t you believe me?”  
            She started to talk but stopped and met his gaze, “Let’s go and get you cleaned up.” She sighed as she grabbed his one arm and hauled him up, her hand closing his gown for him and holding it as he held his chest with his one arm. He kept looking at her the entire walk back to his room.  
            “Sterling.” He whispered as she closed his door. “Why don’t you believe I love you?”  
            She just looked at him again and sighed, walking into his bathroom and filling the tub with scalding hot water, the way he liked it. He followed her in and gently touched her shoulder. “Please.”  
            “Because… just because.” She muttered as she stood and moved to leave. He grabbed her arm and staggered; she gripped his waist and held him steady, he then looked down at her, those lilac orbs looking at her with so much emotion. “Look, so one can love me okay? It’s just a thing, I’m too… everything. I’m just not the type to be loved alright?”  
            “What was his name?” he asked.  
            She sighed as she gripped the front of his gown and refused to look at him, “Roy…”  
            “What’d he do?”  
            “Hurt me…”  
            “How?”  
            “A lot of ways… look Gaien I don’t want to talk about it.”  
            “Sterling, whatever he’s done to you, made you believe about yourself. You know that’s not true. You’re amazing, and even if you don’t believe that, I do. I watched you out there, I saw everything you can do.” He insisted as he held her to his chest.  
            She had to bite her cheek as hard as she could to keep from crying, but she managed to pull it off as she rubbed his side. “Take a bath; I need to go see what’s gonna happen to you after that escape you pulled.”  
            “They’ll kick me out, which is good, I hate it here… you’re the only thing here I enjoy.” He shrugged as he reached behind him and undid his gown.  
            “WAIT TILL I’M OUT OF THE ROOM FRIST!” wailed Sterling as she made a bolt for it and managed to see nothing.  
            “OH SPIRITS!” called Gaien after her, “It’s nothing you ain’t gonna see later…” he huffed before sinking into the hot water and sitting there. No doubt the Krogan would come now… however that was furthest from his mind.  
            He was more concerned with whatever pain Sterling was hiding, whatever had made her believe that she wasn’t greater than the stars above.


	3. Damn Good

            Sterling opened the door to her apartment and sighed, “Well, welcome home.”  
            Gaien walked in and took a look around, his head bonking on the hanging light. “Short place…”  
            “Well, wasn’t made for seven and a half foot tall aliens. It was made for short malnourished human students.” She smirked.  
            “So… not made for you either?”  
            “Correct, but it was better than a dorm. I don’t typically like sharing my space.”  
            “You seemed fine back out there when we shared a bunk…”  
            “It’s different when it’s someone you genuinely care for.” She sighed with a strong flush, a finger scratching her cheek as she refused to look at him.  
            Gaien looked at her with a warm smile before he walked over to her and grabbed her shoulder, his body bending so he could rest his forehead against hers. “I love you.” He chuckled. “You’re adorable.” He added as he fluttered his mandibles against her cheek and coaxed a giggle from her. To which she pouted again after and sighed.  
            “Yeah yeah, dumb space dork…” she groaned as she walked in and closed the door. “There’s the bed, that’s where you slee-”  
            “We, we sleep there.” he said firmly as he looked at couple of books she had.  
            She felt herself smile gently, “You want to sleep with me?”  
            “Why wouldn’t I? I like doing things as innocent as holding your hand. I often show you affection. I’ve made my feelings for you clear. Sleeping together seems to just be something that I would assume we do, since the only advanced you reject from me are declarations of love and half-hearted attempts to have sex.” He shrugged as he explained and then looked at the actual bed. It was built on top of some sort of closet. He wasn’t sure how comfortable it would be, but he was okay with it as long as he got to be with Sterling.  
            “Half-hearted?” she asked as she opened the closet door, he had been right, and started unpacking his things.  
            “I mostly push it because you laugh at it, I like seeing you smile. Especially since I now know that you have been hurt. I fully intend to mend and support you from here on.” He turned to look at her, “Like you are doing for me.”  
            “Gaien…” she sighed before he knelt down next to her and met her face, his mouth plates touching her lips. She sighed again and rested her head against his, “You’re making it hard to not love you…”  
            “Well, I will keep laying it on thick until you can tell me you do, with the proper words.” He sighed happily. He sat there for a moment before groaning, “I’m stuck…” he nearly whined.  
            “Still haven’t figured it all out yet?” she asked, grabbing his one arm and helping him get to his feet.  
            “No, I will though… I want to be able to do things for you.” He shrugged bashfully before giving her a sweet purr. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, her chin against his barely healed chest.  
            “You’re such a good man… how on earth are you still single?”  
            “I’m not.” He breathed as he leaned down and kissed her, “I’ve had a spell cast on me by the most beautiful and powerful of enchantresses.” He charmed. “She has me, heart, soul, and hopefully eventually she’ll take my body and help me blow off some steam.” He whispered in her ear.  
            “Yeah, you had me all breathless until that last part.” She laughed but held his face and kissed him regardless. “You’re cute, always will be.” He began to purr and held her to him with his one arm while be buried his face in her neck.

            Sharing a bunk back on that rock had definitely felt different. They didn’t hold each other then, it was them back to back, barely asleep so that in case something went down they were both up and ready.  
            Now, Sterling found herself appreciative of the closeness. The nights were cold up here, and while she had plenty of blankets, it took her awhile to get warm under them. Gaien however, was like a furnace and near instantly it was toasty warm under the blanket.  
            “Wanna know the best part of not having my right arm?” he asked her softly as he ran his talons through her hair.  
            “Hmm?” she asked sleepily, comfortable with the wall of Turian keeping her against the padded wall to her back.  
            “I don’t have to worry about it going to sleep when I lay on my side. I can just shove a thick pillow for my neck and it’s all good.” He chuckled. She gave a sleepy laugh and snuggled into him. “Thank you Sterling…”  
            “For what _Grandito_?” she asked  
            “What?”  
            “Spanish for big with little at the end. Basically calling you little big guy.” She hummed, “It’s a pet name, just accept it.”  
            “Mmmm, I was hoping for something like Darling, or Baby…” he sighed before he nosed at her hair. “but thanks for just being here for me, for caring about me. I’ve never had anyone before, and I admit, I never thought it would be a crazy human woman.”  
            “I’m only a little crazy, and you’re welcome.” she yawned as she moved her arm to hug herself to him. It was several long moments before she opened her eyes and nestled against him, he held her to him a little tighter and she felt it welling up in her chest.  
            “Gaien?”  
            “Yeah?”  
            “He broke me… almost. One week in his basement, cut open over and over, he forced himself in me any way he could. A screw driver through my cervix… I was eighteen.” She whispered. Tears fell from her eyes and into the mattress; she gave a sob as Gaien pulled her tightly to him.  
            “You kill him?”  
            “No…”  
            “I’ll kill him…”  
            “No.”  
            “Why?”  
            “He’s got money. He can get away with anything. My mother still loves him…” she sobbed and Gaien began to purr, his mouth against her forehead.  
            “If he comes near you, I will kill him. You’re mine Sterling, you’re fighting it, but I know you wouldn’t have told me if you did trust me deeply.” He whispered to her. “I won’t tell anyone either, not unless you want me to.”  
            She just nodded as she let the flood gates open for the first time since she was a teenager. He held her, making those comforting purring noises and nuzzling against her. Sleep took her soon after, and Gaien finally let himself rest, once he knew she was sleeping soundly and no longer as sad.

            Sterling woke up hugging the chest of her large grey alien, she laughed under her breath before she tucked herself closer and tucked her head under his chin. His on hand was holding hers to his chest as he snored away, looking absolutely peaceful. She felt like she had shaved off years of weight from her shoulders, finally telling someone what had happened to her. What made her oblivious to what others considered painful, what made her as tough as steel, it was lifted off her. By none other than the one person that broke open every other lock she had on herself, her alien.  
            “Hey.” She whispered as she lightly kissed at his mandible. “Gaien~ Sweetheart, wake up.” She sighed in his ear as her hand rubbed his chest.  
            He began to purr in his sleep, his head turning towards her as he began to stir. Sterling smiled and pecked at his mouth plates, adding in a slow firm press from her head to his. A few more kiss to his mouth and he opened it instinctually, she went further.  
            “Mmmm, what a way to wake up…” he graveled out as he opened his eyes to look at her, “Morning honey.” He added as he caressed her face and tucked some of her growing hair behind her ear.  
            “Like that?” she asked with a wide smile and sparkling eyes.  
            “Oh, so much.” He purred at her, his head lifting to kiss her again, “Gonna be praying hard now you let me make it so that I have a chance to wake up like that every day for the rest of my life.” He sighed against her mouth.  
            Sterling gave him a light moan before patting at his bare chest. “Okay Grandito, _Honey_ has to go to the hospital, get your meds and resign volunteer work.”  
            “Me too.”  
            “Nooo~” she charmed, “You stay here, rest, get better.”  
            Gaien sighed and pouted at her in his own way, his mandibles clicking at her as she pulled away. “Boo…”  
            “Oh, you’ll be fine!” she laughed as she slid off the back of the bed and circled around to the closet.  
            “Spirits, I love your body.” He purred at her as he watched her walk in nothing but an oversized t-shirt. “And I held it against me all night? Damn, I am one lucky son of a bitch.”  
            Sterling stood on her toes and he leaned down from the bed, their foreheads touching. “Yeah, you are, very lucky.” She smiled as she took her clothes to the shower. “Go back to sleep, I’ll bring home food.”  
            “Make sure you come and tell me goodbye!” he called to her as he laid back down, his head comfortable on the thick pillow, his fringe didn’t bother him with it.  
            She did, she came back into the room, said her goodbyes with a long slow kiss that said almost as much as the look she gave him. She left him breathless and feeling warm and fuzzy all over. “Come back safe! I love you!” he called.  
            “I love you too! Rest!” she called back before shutting the door quickly and locking it. Her face bright red as she then took off sprinting and screaming, hollering, and whooping like a lunatic.  
            “Thank the Spirits, I have the dorkiest, best woman alive…” he laughed as he heard her make so much noise. Love felt pretty damn good.


	4. A Real Date?

            “Wait… so it’s just out all the time with humans? Floppin’ about?” asked Gaien as he looked at the pornographic vid playing on her omni-tool. “Like, no protection or anything? Seems dangerous…”  
            Sterling laughed hard as he spoke, her face burying into his neck. “It kind of is; kicking them in the crotch like immobilizes human males.” She chuckled.  
            “Mmmm, I would assume it’s painful for any species, but taking them down? Really? No wonder they suck.” He huffed as he moved his finger against the holoscreen and moved to the next vid.  
            “They don’t all suck.” Defended Sterling as she snuggled into him while he rested his head against the top of hers, he loved having her close. “Some good guys still out there.”  
            “Mmhmm, yep, tell me that after I meet one, because after today… nope” he growled as he turned his head and ever so slightly nipped at her forehead, his mandibles fluttering against her in his own version of a peck.  
            “Oh! He was just being an asshole. Don’t mind him sweetheart.” She snorted as he hit play. “Also, I can’t believe we’re watching porn together…”  
            “Why? Good educational videos on how to sexually please my woman.” He said with a mockingly dramatic voice. “No, this shit is just hilarious, like really? She’s gotta be faking it…”  
            “Probably is, I wouldn’t know… never had good sex.” She shrugged. He growled at the information he had about that before his arm came around her and pulled her nearly on top of him.  
            “Well, when you’re ready, we’ll fix that.” He told her as he rubbed her back affectionately. “Pull out all the stops, dinner, romance, flowers, and all that cheesy stuff you like. I’ll even wear one of those purple robe things and have a bubble pipe.” He chuckled against her cheek before he gave a long vibrating trill.  
            Sterling was crying she was laughing so hard, struggling against his hold with his one arm as he purred and chirped into her neck, his mandibles fluttering and tickling her. Rolling he moved on top of her and nipped at her throat, her arms gripping his shoulders as her legs kicked, she was still laughing, now gasping for breath as well as he started to falter, laughter interrupting his playful ministrations.  
            Sterling and he eventually slowed down to nuzzling and chuckling, “I love you.” She breathed against his mouth as he nipped at her lips.  
            “I love you too.” He purred and pulled away, “Wanna have the awkward species sex talk?”  
            “Not really, wanna play it like two teenagers who are new to sex instead?” she asked.  
            Gaien dropped his mandibles, “Sounds fun, never really got to have that… my first was a much older woman who knew what she was doing.”  
            “You’re so bad.” She laughed, “Well who was she?”  
            “My rover maintenance instructor,” He laughed “sixteen years old, woman got me cornered inside one of them, damn… I was scared shitless but it was good.” He shrugged then. “Didn’t really want to, I had a crush on a classmate, but can’t say no to a superior.”  
            “She forced you?” asked Sterling as she wrapped her arms around his head and hugged him. “Baby…”  
            “It’s not like how it was with you honey, If I truly didn’t want it I wouldn’t have come out of my plates. She told me straight up that she thought I was a cute little thing and that she would show me how it’s done. Sex didn’t start until I agreed and well… I’m pretty grateful.” He explained as he rolled off her and fixed the pillow to support his head.  
            Sterling curled into his side and he laced his fingers with hers. “Okay, if you say so.” She conceded.  
            “I do, don’t worry about me.” He purred at her as he nosed her hair. “I’m just fine, I mean… I still have nightmares about banshees and reapers… but I’m sure that’s normal after the war for a lot of people. Otherwise… all my prior problems are fixed.”  
            “What was fixed?”  
            “I felt very sad, and alone… because I’m a bareface, I was never going to find a mate or have a family. Especially since I’m not even from Palaven. I didn’t have friends because I closed myself off to everyone…” he moved his head and kissed her. “Then I met this crazy human woman who is like a spirit of war. I fell hopelessly in love with her, and now I don’t feel alone.”  
            Sterling gazed up at him with big eyes, “Oh… Gaien…” she sighed breathlessly as he smiled at her. “Thank whatever higher power there is above, I finally found a good man.” She sniffled as she wrapped her arm around his neck and pressed into him. Gaien just purred happily at her, returning the affection as best he could to her. Kind of hard to do when he was missing his right arm and she was tucked into his right side.  
            “Only downside is that he’s a completely different species and you can’t have kids with him?” asked Gaien with a small laughed.  
            “Downside? There are no downsides. I can’t have kids really anyways or, well…” she paused and sighed, “I could, but it would be difficult and dangerous.”  
            “Well then, that’s a no. Not going to risk anything that could take you from me,” said Gaien firmly as he nuzzled her cheek with his nose “could always adopt anyways.”  
            “You want to have kids with me?” asked Sterling as she toyed with the dog-tags around his neck.  
            “It’s a nice thought, settling somewhere.” He shrugged, getting a little embarrassed at the realization of how much he had thought about it. “Have a couple kids, work from home. I’ve been picturing it more and more lately hon; I just can’t see a life without you, in the slightest.”  
            Sterling smiled and shifted against him to hug him tighter. “Me neither…” she admitted. Sterling had been thinking about what it would be like to take him home to her family. What they would think, if he would be happy, if happily ever after was an option for them.

            Sterling looked up at Gaien who felt her move and turned to look back at her. “I love you.” She whispered to him softly. He purred and whispered back the same words, his forehead coming down to hers.  
            He’d never once pushed, despite the fact they’d been living together for over a month, Sterling had never once felt pressured. It also wasn’t like she wasn’t attracted to him, the way his back muscles moved when he stretched made her face heat up and a dull throb start up between her legs; his voice when he growled sweet things in to her ear in the middle of the night and sought affection to chase away the shivers of nightmares. He could get her worked up, but the fear and memories of the pain and fear she had would come up at full force and she lost that small flame just as fast as he brought it on.  
            “Let’s go out tomorrow, you and I.” she told him softly as she kissed him, “To the beach, it’s cold but I imagine it’s still beautiful. Then we find someone for dinner? A real date?”  
            “What? My cereal carpet picnics not doing it for you anymore?” he joked as he kissed her back. “I’d love to Honey.” He then nodded as he reached over his head and touched the light pad to turn out the lights. A real date with Sterling? Nothing made him more nervous, or more excited.


	5. Love

            He’d never seen anything so beautiful, the scenery around him had his heart tight and his mind trying to capture as much as he could of the imagery in front of him. Dark stormy sky, an ocean a dark, deep, almost evil looking green; the grey clouds above them and the cool toned sand under his boots, all of it took his breath away. Gaien walked along the pools and gazed into the small tide pools at his feet and admired them, grinning widely to himself. He’d never seen such a beautiful place. His own homeworld was just red rock, red rock everywhere, no real life. Mining community, everything was shipped in, nothing was natural.   
            This place however, Earth in general… it held up to its name. Just on the ride to this place he found himself lost in thought as he stared out into the foggy moors and held his girlfriend to him. He’d loved riding on the old gas van that had dropped them off, the elderly couple had been scared of him, but friendly and kind to Sterling, which was enough for him to be polite.   
            He’d thought he’d hate the chill in the air, it only took his breath away at how it made everything look. Especially Sterling, her short hair blowing in the wind and big brown eyes reflecting the light, he was breathless watching her. He also liked seeing her outside of military fatigues or her nursing uniform. The long skirt and leather jacket suiting her in his mind, he appreciated the way she looked; in a way he didn’t think was possible.   
            He’d always found her attractive, always wanted to spend the night with her. However this was a newer feeling he had in his chest when he saw her all dressed up… pride? He was proud to have such a beautiful woman on his arm, not that he wasn’t proud of her, he just… never thought they looked good together. However she and he together, like this, he’d seen it in the window of the van, and they did look damned good together.   
            “Honey!” he called as he reached into a pool and pulled out a silvery shell, “This one?!” he asked. He knew she was looking for shells; he’d just been exploring, and admiring her from afar. She stood and ran over to him, her gloved hands enclosing around his and looking at it.   
            “That’s beautiful sweetheart.” She grinned as she took it and pocketed it. With a small shiver she took off her gloves and slid them into his black coat, “Ughh! Cold!” she nearly squealed wearing a big smile.   
            “Yeah, pretty chilly.” He chuckled as he held her to him and buried his nose in her hair. Taking a deep inhale he sighed contently having her so close to him. “Sterling?”   
            “Yes my heart?” she asked looking up at him.   
            He fluttered his mandibles nervously, was he really thinking about doing this? Was he seriously going to risk it all? “How do you feel about the idea of us together? Like forever?”   
            Sterling grinned, “I like it. No, I love it a lot! Especially when you talk about us traveling together, I’ve always wanted to. Why?” she asked now cocking her head and looking at him seriously, fear crossing her face.   
            He took a deep breath and looked away from her, his one hand holding the back of his neck as he felt his blood rush up his neck. “I um…” he started before he groaned in frustration and jumped in place. “Fuck, Sterling! Will you be my Mate?” he asked just letting it shoot from his mouth.   
            “Huh? Mate?” she asked curiously, before her face flushed bright red, “MATE?! As… in…” she drifted off.   
            “Marry me.” He chirruped out nervously.   
            Sterling stared at him, before she stiffened and gapped with her mouth hanging open. He began to get scared, evident by his mandibles pulled tightly to his face and his brow plates furrowed. He was praying she would agree, and she was having a hard time finding a reason not to. They’d been through so much, and together they’d always felt so safe and warm. She loved him, more than she had anyone else in her entire life. He loved her just as much, and never failed to show her, as she never failed to show him; affection and romance thick between them. He was patient with her fear of sexual intimacy, and she never stopped thanking him for that. They never fought, not to hurt each other. Sometimes out of frustration, but it was just miscommunication a lot. They hunkered down and got through it before going to sleep. They never slept apart; it was just a silent rule now, and Gaien, even if still tender held onto her tightly in his sleep. She would still cling to him with her head under his chin even if she wasn’t entirely happy. They just, fit together and worked out so well.   
            Gaien opened his mouth to speak, his face full of despair before Sterling spoke first. “Yes.”   
            “Wait… What?” asked Gaien shocked, “Yes?”   
            “Yes!”  
            “Yes?!”  
            “YES!”  
            “FUCK YEAH!”   
            Sterling burst into laughter at his last outburst before she jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck; he hugged her to him tightly and kissed her deeply. “Ugh, you perfect, crazy, wonderful, amazing, beautiful, pain in the ass woman!” he cheered as he held her face and rubbed his forehead against hers. She started crying through her laughter, sniffling and resting her nose bridge against his, to which he purred at so loudly that Sterling thought it was thundering.  
            “I love you, stupid bird brain.”   
            “Oh baby, call me that again, every day for the rest of our life!” he sighed as he kissed her deeply, not caring that a human couple walking by was making comments. Sterling bubbled with laughed and returned the affection. “I love you too, always will.”

            They didn’t go home, Sterling managed to get them a room at a small inn that was just a couple miles down the road. It had started to rain, and they were soaked through, luckily the Asari couple that ran the place was friendly and helpful, offering to dry their clothing for them.   
            “Cold?” asked Gaien as Sterling held herself next to him, wrapped in only a towel.   
            “Yeah.” She breathed as he reached for her and pulled her against him. She settled against the hyper warm plate and hide and sighed contently. “I love you.”   
            “I love you too.” He whispered as he buried his face in her neck and nipped at her shoulder gently.   
            Sterling held his head and held her mouth to his temple, just enjoying the closeness. It felt different, more solid now that he had a real claim to her and she him. His hand pulled her to him and she shifted so she sat in his lap, her legs around his waist. He sighed and pulled away to look at her. “Hon…”   
            She just nodded, “Yeah, I’m yours after all, forever and always.” She shrugged with a nervous smile. He pressed his forehead to hers and chuffed at her.   
            “You tell me how far to go, if it doesn’t feel right just tell me. We either change it up or stop, your call.” He firmly told her as he ran his tongue up her throat and she shivered, her right hand sliding down his chest.   
            “Okay.” She agreed as she pulled his head up and pressed her head against his, holding him to her. He gave her the deepest purr she’d heard yet and then reached for her towel, she didn’t stop him, so he pulled it off and threw it aside.   
            He’d known she was all muscle, he’d felt that through her clothing so many times before. However just how battle prepared her body was only made the fire grow in his gut. His eyes wandered over her, taking in the sights he had yet to see before. The chest bumps called breasts on her were fairly large a good handful for him, he found he liked that. He liked how her waist wasn’t very thin, but her hips were wide. He didn’t like how there were so many scars, most of which he knew weren’t from battle. He didn’t “not” like them because of how they looked; he hated them because he knew they were reminders of the pain she felt.   
            He swore to erase their meaning, she was his, no one would ever hurt her again. Looking down he felt himself thankful that it wasn’t all that different from a turian female, soft folds. He was curious about the hair there though, what was the purpose of that? He had no idea. Cautiously he ran his finger pads over it and felt her tense. “This okay?”   
            “Yeah… just nervous.”   
            “I understand.”   
            “How do I… Um…” she paused, “What do I touch to please you?”   
            He sputtered with laughter, before nuzzling her cheek and grinning, “Here”. He there took her hand putting it to the soft hide under his fringe. “This is good, so is my waist.” He informed her. “And if you want to be brave, my groin plates.”   
            “They shift right?”  
            “Mmhmm, already starting to.” He informed her as he fluttered his mandibles against her cheek and then nipped her neck, his one arm holding her tightly to his chest. “I can smell that you’re getting into it, helps a lot when your partner is just as excited.” He purred into her ear.   
            Sterling grinned and turned her face to peck at his mouth plates, “Nothing’s gonna like jump out at me right? I know we watched porn together… but you never know with you.”   
            “Ow, what a way to wound your soon to be husband.” He joked, “No, it’ll be pretty similar; I’m not shaped exactly like that guy was though. Different color and size too, he had to have implants, no normal turian guy is that huge.” He chuckled into her throat.   
            Sterling hugged his head and nuzzled him firmly; she wore a huge grin, the warm feeling completely taking over. She’d never thought being naked and held by someone would make her feel safe and warm, even have her laughing and enjoying it.   
            “Okay, so…” she moved her right hand to between them and felt with her fingers for the slit, she found it, soft and hot, “Like this?” she asked. Her fingers slowly tracing up and down the opening between his plates, she however stole his mouth and sought his tongue, making him moan into her mouth.   
            “Yeah, just like that.” he panted as she touched him. Her fingers pressed into him slightly as he growled as his forehead went to her chest, “Fuck… I love your fingers.” He breathed.   
            She just gave a small laugh and arched into him, his head then coming up and touching his forehead to hers. She returned the firm pressed before looking down between them. She looked just in time to see him slowly emerge, and she moved her hand to hold the underside, a little surprised to see it come well past her wrist.   
            “Staring is okay, but nerve wracking.” He whispered to her, she looked at him, “Thoughts?”   
            “Big.”  
            “You knew it was going to be, I have almost a foot and a half on you.” He laughed at her, his nose touching her temple as she turned back to look. “Too weird?”   
            “No, just weird enough, not scary.” She assured him as he chuffed at her before gasping at her gripping him. “So... ridges?”   
            “To please mates, female turians can’t get pregnant without orgasm.” He informed her as they exchanged light nuzzled.   
            “Advantageous.” She purred back at him, he grinned at her and nipped her jaw lovingly. “Tapered tip?”  
            “Fits against the cervix, to erm…” he cleared his throat and looked at her meaningfully, “You know… make it easier to um.”  
            “I get it, good thing delivering sperm to an egg is moot between us.” She giggled. He smiled at her and held her tightly.   
            “Mmm, reproductive reasons are moot maybe. Filling my mate full of cum? I’m so into that.” He hummed in her ear, “Make you smell only of me, anyone with a good nose will know immediately who you belong to.”   
            Sterling blushed but smiled at him, “No one needs to smell me to know I’m yours Sweetheart. They just have to look, proud soon-to-be wife of Gaien Tannis right here.”   
            “I want to take your name.”   
            “Why?”  
            “I don’t like mine, it doesn’t mean anything. Your name is tied to a family, holds meaning… I would be honored to join it and hold your surname.”   
            Sterling looked down into his lilac eyes and smiled softly, “That means a lot to me Gaien… There’s no one to carry on the name aside from me, and now you just made it possible for us to do that.” She told him in a tight voice, “Thank you.” She breathed as she wrapped her arms around his neck.   
            “Thank you for letting me, for accepting me.” He sighed to her as he nuzzled his head against hers. “Thank you for loving me Sterling.”   
            “Thank you for loving me Gaien.”   
            “Always will.”  
            Their affections were soft, everything slow, taking in each other in this whole new way. There weren’t any explosions of passion, or screams of ecstasy. Gaien shifted, moving to lean over Sterling as she got comfortable under him. She moved her hands to his waist and massaged at his sides while he held himself over her. “You okay?” he asked softly.   
            She nodded and hummed her answer, shifting her hips and finally setting her legs on his pronounced hip ridges. His arm was starting to shake by the time she was finally comfortable, thankfully she wrapped her arms back around his neck and he took the signal to lower himself down. “Sorry” she whispered.   
            “You didn’t take my arm, and you’re not the reason the prosthetic is three weeks late.” He chuckled at her as he relaxed, “So don’t worry about it, I just hope I’m not hurting you.”   
            “Nope.” She grinned and kissed his mouth plates lovingly, he returned it with a gentle nip. “You’re heavy, but it’s nice. I feel safe with you.” She admitted to him as she reached between her legs and rubbed at her folds.   
            “I’m glad, wouldn’t make a very good mate if you were scared of me.” He joked. Inhaling deeply he buried his face into her neck and purred. “How do you want to do this?”   
            “Normal I guess? I have no idea if I stretch anymore, as long as you’re okay with being patient with me, I’ll try anything you want.”   
            “I just want you comfortable and happy honey. Not too focused on getting off.” He admitted to her as he moved his hips and rubbed his member against her sex. “Not that getting off wouldn’t be nice.”   
            “I’m not against Oral if need be sweetheart, I’m not allergic.” She laughed as she shifted and used her hand to move him to her entrance.   
            “I have a mild sensitivity, I can ingest, but I’ll have a mild stomachache in a few hours.” He informed her, “Though, I love you enough to put my tongue wherever you ask my darling.” He purred into her ear as he gave a very soft thrust.   
            “That’s hot.” She laughed, “Okay, slow, I have no idea how this is going to turn out.” She whispered nervously her arms wrapping around his neck and holding tightly.   
            He leaned on his elbow as he shifted to push into her. The very tip of him going in easy, however as soon as it was a real stretch she started shaking and holding onto him tightly.   
            “Baby?”   
            “It hurts” she sobbed.   
            He winced and pressed his head to hers, “I’m sorry, here. I’m pulling out.” He told her softly as he tried to shift to get out of her.   
            “GAIEN!” she cried and he startled, slipping and pushing into her more on accident. Her cry made him panic as he looked at her.   
            “Honey, Oh spirits, I’m so sorry!” he panicked as he froze, not moving. She was gasping for air her hands on her face as she tried to hide her shame. “Honey, Sterling, it’s okay, it’s okay to not be comfortable. We don’t have to do it this way.”   
            “I want to.” She sobbed as she looked at him. The pain and how upset she was all over her face, it broke his heart to look at her. “I wanted to do this for you, I wanted to be normal with you!” she wailed.   
            Gaien keened for her and nuzzled her face, “Oh Honey, we don’t have to do it this way right now. If you want to that badly we’ll work up to it. I’m not going anywhere, I’d never leave you, especially over something as stupid as not being able to be inside you.” He tried to soothe.   
            She sobbed and nodded, biting her lip and hugging him tightly, he grunted and managed to somehow pull from her and then just lay on top of her. She cried out as he pulled from her, but wrapped her legs around him tighter, begging him to not leave her.   
            He stayed, of course he did. Okay, so sex was not an option right away, vaginal anyways. There were other ways to be intimate though, and he told her this softly, and promised that next time they could do that, whenever she was ready to be intimate again. He however was not feeling any such fire anymore and had already retracted as he moved to lay on his back.   
            “I’m sorry” she whimpered from his shoulder.   
            Gaien looked down to his left and looked at her softly, “It’s okay Honey, believe me, I’m not upset at you or anything, just a little upset that I hurt you.” He told her honestly.   
            She hugged his chest tighter, and he used his one arm to hold her to him. “I love you Sterling, that isn’t going to change at all because of this. You’re the most important thing to me, my whole life. So don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.” He soothed as he nosed into her hair.   
            Sterling nodded and finally started to pull away from him. “I’m going to see if anything tore.” She told him softly. He got up and held himself on his one arm, looking so worried he might explode from it.  
            She leaned down and kissed him, before going into the bathroom of their room. He fell back down and rubbed his forehead, sighing unhappily. He was not happy that he’d hurt her. Screw over the fact he didn’t get sex, that didn’t matter to him at all. Sure he’d wanted it, especially with his mate, but it wasn’t something he needed to have right now. He’d just wanted to be close to her.   
            Sterling came out and opened their door to find their clothing in a wicker basket. She grabbed it and brought it in. Digging she pulled out her black cotton undies and pulled them on. “I’m okay” she told him as she crawled back into the bed. He was thankful she went right to his side, instantly he put an arm around her to hold them close. “Just stretched out the scar tissue, nothing tore.”   
            “Thank the spirits.” He breathed as he held her head against his. “I’m so sorry.”   
            “It’s okay, I know you didn’t mean to. It’s also kind of hard to be on top I imagine with one arm.”   
            “You have no idea, still though…” He sighed as he kissed her, “I never want to hurt you again. If you still want to work up to that, we will, as slow or fast as you want; but I am just fine being intimate in other ways.”   
            “Okay, I want to though… I want to be able to be normal for you.” She whispered as she returned the affection. She now saw why he sought it out so much when he wasn’t feeling well, it really did help.   
            “Then we’ll get there, together. Okay?”   
            “Okay. Thank you.”  
            “It’s nothing to thank me for, that’s just what you do for the person you love.” He shrugged.   
            “I love you.” She sniffled.   
            “I love you too.” He sighed as he got comfortable.   
            Sterling got as close to him as she possibly could, her arm holding his torso to her and her legs tangled with him. Sleep came easily, like always, even if she was still embarrassed. Gaien was right behind her, his brain already trying to figure out how to solve this minor problem. He wouldn’t give up as long as she wanted it though, He loved Sterling, just as much as she loved him. She’d agreed to be his mate, his wife… he’d never give up on anything for her.


	6. Always

           Sterling woke up to find herself alone, she sat up, her heart sinking and freezing in her chest. “Gaien?” she asked, “Sweetheart?” she added her voice beginning to crack. She knew it, of course he would leave her because he literally couldn’t fuck her.   
            “Gaien?!” she wailed once more, tears now streaming down her face as she hugged herself. She curled into herself and held her head as she just sobbed, feeling her heart break. She didn’t even notice the sound of rushed footsteps coming up the stairs.   
            “HONEY?! Baby! What’s wrong?” asked Gaien in a panicked tone as he practically slammed open the door. “Sterling?!” he cried as he ran to her side and pulled her up to him with one arm.   
            Sterling kept sobbing, now out of the fear she had felt than heartbreak. “I thought you left me!” she sobbed out as her arms went around his neck. He sighed and moved to press his head to hers.   
            “Honey…” he sighed as he fluttered his mandibles against her face and nuzzled her, “I’d never leave you. You’re my mate, one and only.” He whispered to her as he tried to soothe her. “I just went downstairs to see if there was going to be a bus or cab anytime soon to take us home. Then the Asari started talking to me, and asked about us, we got to chatting. They’re making you breakfast.” He explained as he settled her back down and kept close.   
            She just nodded and inhaled a shaky breath. “I was scared, when I woke up alone.”   
            “I’m sorry; I didn’t want to wake you. I figured last night was a little… draining, and you needed some rest.” He cooed at her as his hand stroked her face and his gaze held her softly. “I love you.”   
            Sterling sniffled and held his hand to her face, “I love you too. I’m sorry I panicked.”   
            He shushed her and began to purr, “It’s okay, understandable. I would have probably reacted the same or worse.” He smirked as he leaned down and kissed her. “Whole heart baby, that’s what you are to me. I fought Reapers with you, nothing says love like that.”   
            She laughed and smiled at him, “That’s my girl, my beautiful bright soon-to-be wife.” He chuffed at her as she settled. “Rest up, come down when you’re ready okay? If you need me, just call.”   
            With a light nod she relaxed and settled back into the bed. He was right; she was tired, and between her legs still ached mildly. He pressed his forehead and purred at her briefly before standing and tucking her in with one arm. Nearly silent he left the room so she could relax.

            “Aww, you’re such a doting mate~” cooed the Asari matriarch in pink. Her aged face soft and sweet with a large smile, she was like most Asari in their final stage of life, busty and maternal looking.   
            “I didn’t think I’d see anyone move that fast.” Chuckled the other Asari, wearing an earth style dress and an apron over it. “You’re going to be a good husband, we’ll pray to the goddess her family loves you. Invite us to the wedding.” She smiled brightly as Gaien returned to the kitchen and sat at the table.   
            Gaien flushed blue and laughed nervously, his mandibles close to his face and he rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I love her…”   
            Both the Asari “aww’d” at him and exchanged a loving look. The one in pink patted the table and urged him to return to his kava.   
            “So? How’d you meet?” she asked, “Was it a scandal? Is that why you don’t have colony markings?” she asked.   
            Gaien chuckled as he took a sip, “No, I’ve been barefaced since I was born. I met her during the Reaper war, her and a small platoon of N7 ranked soldiers came to our little moon to help. We ended up getting along. I first saw her on the citadel though, she’d dropped something and came chasing after it, I saw it and picked it up.” He explained. “She was friendly, called me ‘eye candy’ and thanked me before running off.”   
            “Oh?~” asked the cooking Asari, “So she thought you were attractive first.” She looked at her wife, “Xeno!” they both giggled in unison.   
            “Nah, Just likes her men strong and stupid.” He joked as he leaned back and looked at his own hand. “She still wanted to be with me despite the fact that I am like this, She’s the best of all women.” He sighed contently, “And she agreed to be with me.”

            Sterling made her way down a few hours later, finding her turian in the kitchen still. As if he sensed her he looked around as she entered the room and gave her a soft smile. “Honey.”   
            “Sweetheart.” She greeted as she crossed to him and hugged him tightly, he returned the affection eagerly. Foreheads together he sighed contently, happy to have her back with him. “Are any rides coming by soon?” she asked.   
            “One’s already here, the elderly couple from yesterday stopped to have some food, recognized me. They seemed a little nicer seeing the Asari talk to me, so they asked how I was and where you were. I told them you were still sleeping, and we chatted. They’re giving us a ride all the way back to Ayr.” He grinned. “Sterling, do you want to have a wedding?”   
            “Hmm?” she asked, “Oh, um… not really. Why waste funds? Why?”   
            “Let’s just do it then… sign the paperwork, be on our way.”   
            Sterling looked down at him and gave him a warm smile before nodding, “Okay.” She sighed contently. “We’ll wait till after you get your arm though, so we don’t have to mess with paperwork.” She laughed.   
            He huffed, “Yeah, you’re right.”   
            “Come on, let’s go.” She smiled as she pulled his arm. Gladly he stood and got close to her, his arm coming around her. Gaien loved her, heart and soul. It was very easy to tell by the way his subvocals sang out with affection whenever he was around her, how his gaze was always bright and warm when he looked at her, and how he always said her name as if he were thanking whatever higher power there was. The best part of it all? Sterling felt the exact same way.


	7. Anytime

            “Relax, Honey… trust me.” Breathed Gaien into his mate’s ear as she held onto his shirt and stiffened. He just purred in her ear, his one hand holding her hip. He had her cornered in a tight alleyway, thinking spontaneity would put that fire in her gut again.   
            He’d been right; however Sterling was shivering in slight fear that they would get caught. “Sweetheart, someone’s gonna see and think you’re molesting me.” She whispered worriedly; her arms tightly holding onto him.  
            “Not if you keep clinging like that to me and look happy when I do this.” He whispered against her ear before turning his head to kiss her. She was still nervous, but his affectionate nature had her all aglow and smiles again, even as his hand finally got the button of her jeans undone and he was able to slide in and touch her.   
            Sterling flushed, unable to control the nervous giggles as she buried her face in his neck and held on tightly. Her giggles turned into sighs, and then muffled moans however as he worked at her. The pad on his talons finger gently rubbing at the sensitive little nub that brought her so much pleasure while he held his forehead against hers and purred affectionately, she breathlessly wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly. Gaien purred at her and nuzzled in closely as he inhaled deeply, the scent of her aroused had his head spinning a little, but he was determined to have at least one good sexual experience with her before they were legally married. Well, good for her anyways, he couldn’t care less if he didn’t have any good ones before, what was important to him was Sterling’s comfort and happiness.   
            Softly she breathed his name into his neck and he rumbled deeply for her, his digit sliding just a little further and into her entrance. She stiffed and he stopped, looked at her curiously as he tested the entrance, and shouldn’t be too right of a fight, nothing seriously painful, a little uncomfortable at first maybe. He asked her with a look for permission however, it was her body, and he wasn’t going to overstep any boundaries.   
            With a deep breath, sterling hugged him tighter and nodded; he moved his mouth to kiss her deeply before sliding into her just barely. Snug, but not so tight, she was tense for a bit as he let her get used to it before he pressed in a little farther. She made a small noise of discomfort but he nuzzled her, wishing desperately he had a second arm so that he could hold her to him instead of having to use a cold brick wall.   
            She let out a strong breath before giving him a small moan, to which he took as a good sign; it meant she was enjoying it. Her left hand sliding down his side and massaging at what she now knew was a sensitive area. He gave her a sight and kissed her again, moving his finger inside her a little more. A little searching and he found it, the place inside her that was slightly rougher, it was smaller than he thought it would be, on turian females it was a fairly good sized spot.   
            Sterling gasped as he moved against that, her pelvis bucking into him once as he growled in her ear and panted against her. She moved her hand down and expertly slid it into his own pants, giving a smile to him as she found he was already out. He shrugged, how could he not be when his mate was enjoying herself because of him?  
            Her hand barely fit around it at the thinnest part, she didn’t even want to think about how he was eventually going to slam that into her. However the thoughts crossed her mind and she shivered as he rubbed her clit with his wrist, wet noises now coming from between her legs. Gaien seemed to notice and gave her a small chuckle, his temple against hers as he relaxed and let her have her own fun with him.   
            Okay, it was a little gross at how slicked up and slimy he already was, but she figured it was a good thing since she knew that lubrication was a good thing. Not that she had had any last time she was with someone. Gaien was only ever her third, and she was pretty thankful he was a snuggly space dinosaur and not a human. With him they could explore together, no expectations, he was sweet and gentle with her, while she knew someone else would probably keep pushing.   
            Gaien sighed at her soft stroking of him and turned his head to kiss her, which she happily gave. She had to admit, this was good, and she liked it. It was close, intimate, she wasn’t in pain or even uncomfortable anymore. There was as much if not more affection between them with looks, sounds, and their kissing than there was him moving inside her. He wanted to please her, but he wasn’t rushing it, that made her smile.   
            He was fighting his gut, he didn’t know why but he already wanted to come from her hand on him but it was just how it was. He figured it was probably just the emotional attachment and deep love he felt for her, and the fact she was enjoying herself with him. It was worth it though, especially as she bit her lip and furrowed her brows, he took that as a sign. He worked a little faster, and within a few short moments she gave a strained cry and buried her face in his throat. He shivered, her hand squeezing just right as he came right with her, his head moving forward and hitting the brick wall.   
            Sterling made small hums into his neck as she snuggled against him. “I love you~” she sighed contently, “That was great. Thank you.” She purred to him as she moved her hands under his shirt, rubbing at the soft hot hide of his stomach.   
            “Anytime” he breathed out with a chuckle, “No, seriously, any time.” He added as he lifted his head and kissed her.   
            She laughed and set her nose bridge against his before looking down between them, “Wow, you’re a mess…”   
            “Well, someone decided to keep me inside my clothes while she got handsy.” He smirked. “I’ll be okay, we’re heading home anyways, nothing a shower and load of laundry can’t fix.” He shrugged while he pulled his hand from her pants and showed her how she soaked him. “Glad you’re the same.”   
            “Ugh… that’s all me?!” she asked turning a dark shade of red.   
            “Every.” He licked his talon and tasted her, humming in approval, “Drop.”   
            Sterling whined and covered her face with her hands, before she yanked back her left and looked at it. it still had a lot of him on it which was now on her face. Gaien watched before he sputtered into laughter, his head hitting the wall again as he tried to stifle the noise.   
            “Oh my god… I gave myself a facial…” she groaned, to which he slid down her front and onto his knees, howling with laughter.  
            “I CAN’T TAKE IT!!!” he screeched while cackling and holding his own stomach. Sterling just watched him before her face of horror morphed into laughing as well and she sank down to sit with him.   
            “Well, at least the first time we get off together is memorable.” She chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her and licked his fluids off her cheek. She hitched her breath and looked at him.   
            “What? They’re mine anyways, your juices are technically mine, and mine are mine… it’s all mine. You’re mine.” He smiled at her, nuzzling her face.   
            “I am yours, just as you are mine.” She grinned, “Also, that’s hot.”   
            “Good.” He purred as he kissed her, “Home?”  
            “Home.” She hummed happily.


	8. Salarians make Sex Jokes?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Farnic... what would we do without you?   
> Gaien being a shit again, he's lucky he's loved.

            The look she was giving him made him sit still, for the first time in his life Gaien felt that he HAD to listen to someone. Not that he didn’t weigh options and opinions before, he just always decided to follow whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. Now, he couldn’t, not with a mate and soon to be legal wife.   
            Sterling had her arms crossed and was looking at him with a raised eyebrow and her lips pursed. He knew the look, he got it whenever he was doing something bad and it wasn’t funny to her, which was rare, and thus the look meant all the more how bad his actions were. So maybe it wasn’t a good idea to struggle so much as his doctor put in the base for his prosthetic. It hurt though, and he wasn’t like sterling who could probably have a tooth removed without a flinch.   
            He chuffed at her and gave a grin, hoping that she would forgive him. She just held his gaze with that look and he deflated. Sighing, he gave in and just rested on the bed as he doctor went back to work.   
            “Good for this turian to finally have mate. Maybe wife tame him. Make him less of a nuisance.” rambled the doctor as he worked quickly, knowing full well how Gaien could get.   
            Sterling came closer and leaned down, kissing her fiancé on the temple, to which he purred and held her head down so he could nuzzle her. “You think being a married man will honestly calm him Doctor?”   
            “Highly likely. Turian acts like that of newly crested. Mr. Tannis sure to mature with the idea of mate and offspring on his mind.”   
            “Offspring?!” asked Gaien as he jolted but was forced back down by Sterling who pinned him easily.   
            “Yes, Offspring.” said the doctor, “Interested in adoption? Perhaps willing to try experimental breeding? Creat dextro-levo hybrid? Always wanted to create one. Have colleague willing to join.”   
            “I think if we do have kids doctor, we’ll try and keep them one of our species. Adoption seems like a good idea, especially with so many orphans.” laughed Sterling as Gaien fluttered his mandibles, having a mild meltdown.   
            “I’m not even married yet!” he whined as his mate nuzzled him.   
            “Don’t worry sweetheart, I promise there won’t be any surprise pregnancies to spur you into adulthood.” she grinned as he half purred half trilled in worry at her affections.   
            “Adoption good. Many children without parents. Though not many turians, since they perish after birth if not able to imprint. Shall I keep an eye out? Just in case?” he asked as he finished up on Gaien’s arm.   
            “I wouldn’t mind that, thank you Dr. Farnic.” Sterling grinned as she looked at Gaien.   
            Gaien was now looking up at her, “You’d want a turian?”   
            “Of course, I’m marrying one. Happily so.” She shrugged as he melted against her hand and was left a purring mess. How did he get so lucky?   
            “Ready for temporary arm?” asked the doctor as he opened the box and pulled out a silvery prosthetic of a turian right arm.   
            “Yes! Please! I need two hands again!” said Gaien excitedly, “Do you know how hard it is to undo a human bra with one hand doc? It’s really fucking hard! How else am I supposed to get to my mate’s breas-” he stopped as Sterling smacked him upside the head. “Ow…” he whined as she glared at him.   
            “I haven’t any idea of what you mean. I am salarian Mr. Tannis. We do not really have a sexual need other than for procreation.” He explained as he fit it into the socket and started programming it.   
            “That must suck…” sighed Gaien as he laid back and settled for holding Sterling’s hand.   
            The doctor got a smile, “I believe with my situation there would be a lack of sucking.”   
            Sterling balked out laughter as she heard the doctor joke. Gaien just rose an eyebrow at him, “Sucking is the best part I’ve learned.” Sterling fell to her knees laughing as the doctor chuckled next to him.   
            “Just remember not to swallow too much Mr. Tannis. I’m sure you’d implode at the notion of having to explain to the nurse just exactly why your stomach wants to murder itself.”   
            Sterling was now wiping tears from her eyes as Gaien let out a loud boom of laughter.  “Oh my god! At least it’s not me!” she cried as she pulled herself up and nuzzled her mate’s forehead with her own. Gaien put his arm around her and chuckled, holding his nose bridge against hers.   
            “I love you.” purred Gaien as he pressed his mouth to her cheek and fluttered his mandibles.   
            Sterling grinned and turned her face, pecking his mouth plates, “I love you too.” She nuzzled him as well, “No behave so the doctor can give you two hands again!”


	9. Mr. and Mrs. Reyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Porn, cuteness, and porn...  
> First married sex, yes, these two are just, yes to me.

            “Baby, Honey, Babe…” whispered Gaien as he stood in front of the bed and reached over shaking Sterling’s sleeping shoulder. He was excited, so much he couldn’t sleep even if he wanted to. It was great having two hands again, two arms to hold his mate, able to help out more, able to clean their tiny dwelling from floor to ceiling and make it spotless.  
            He’d been so wound up and happy, he’d decided to just jump right into the paperwork, three hours later… well all he needed was Sterling’s signature on his omni-tool and they were officially married.  
            “Mmmm?” groaned Sterling as she looked over her shoulder, “No, Gaien… sweetie not tonight…” she whined as she pulled the covers over her head.  
            Gaien pouted, “Not even if it’s technically honeymoon sex?”  
            “No…” grumbled Sterling before she opened her eyes and turned and looked at him, “Wait, what?”  
            “I couldn’t sleep… so I filled out all of the marriage paperwork, and I called in a favor on Palaven and then your captain. All you need to do is sign and I’m officially Gaien Reyes, Husband slash Bondmate of Sterling Reyes.” He told her softly, looking at her gently with eyes full of love.  
            Sterling felt the blood rise to her face as she gazed at him, “You did all of it on your own? Baby…” she breathed as she sat up and moved to get off their bed platform. Gaien came around and grabbed her waist, hugging her to him.  
            “Yeah, I just… I got my arm, and I didn’t wanna be ‘Tannis’ anymore.” He shrugged, his voice getting that nervous tone.  
            Sterling ran her hands over his fringe and kissed him, instantly soothing his nerves as he put her down. “Oh sweetheart…” she breathed as she nuzzled against him. “I love you, Mr. Reyes.” She grinned.  
            “I love you too, Mrs. Reyes.” He breathlessly laughed. Settling her on her feet he held her close to him, “Also I was joking about that honeymoon sex thing.” He whispered.  
            “I changed my mind.” She whispered back, “I wonder if married sex is better…” she mused against his mouth plates as he flared his mandibles and nuzzled her.  
            “Let’s find out.” He rumbled at her. Urgently he herded her towards the ladder to their bed. She laughed quietly and climbed up, laying back as Gaien came forward, on _both_ his arms.  
            “Better?” she asked as she ran her hand up his natural and synthetic limbs.  
            Gaien sighed and leaned down to rest his head against hers, “So much.”

            It was a lot easier on him, he finally felt like he could give Sterling the kind of love making she deserved, instead of strained and awkward because he didn’t have the strength to hold her against him. Back to health ten months after he’d woken up, his natural body was back at his prior strength, if not stronger since he was bored a lot of the time and went to exercising.  
            Now however, with two arms, he could hold himself above her while his free hand slid slightly up her shirt and held her waist. She was a slow build to get ready for anything to be in her, not that he minded in the least bit. The more he got to do for her, with her, the happier he was. Softly he nipped at her lips as he slowly added to the small fire by running his hands up her sides, down her legs, holding her face as he nuzzled against her. He sighed contently as she ran her hands up his back and down his chest, stroking at his bare stomach and sides. He couldn’t decide on what was his favorite part of their love making was. All of this, the soft touches and love filled petting, or watching her come undone from his attentions. Either way, he found himself incredibly comfortable and pleased with all of it.  
            He’d found comfort in Sterling herself, someone he’d have never guessed would be his mate. When he’d first seen her, he was stuck with how warm and bright she was to him, especially with that smile. He’d watched her use that inner light and turn it into a weapon against the Reapers back on that moon. It’d been what he had melted to, just how bright, warm, loving, and full of personality his woman was. Now she was his, legally as well as emotionally. Just as he so happily belonged to her.  
            Gaien nipped at her neck as he used his hands to lift her shirt up and expose her breasts, “Hello ladies~” he breathed out, earning him a soft laugh and a kiss as he nuzzled his wife’s face. “You know, I’ve grown rather attached to these.”  
            “Oh?” she asked as she rubbed at the sensitive spot under his fringe and rested her nose against his.  
            His hands came up and cupped them, thumbs gently rubbing at the blush colored peaks. “Mmhmm, they’re so soft, the feeling of them in my hands… how sensitive you are. It pleases me greatly.” He whispered to her as he dipped his head down and ran his tongue over her right nipple. “I love all of you.”  
            “What’s your favorite part then Gaien? And if you say my pussy I’m going to hurt you.” She smirked.  
            Gaien hummed as he nipped at her breasts and nuzzled into the soft flesh, enjoying how her hands felt stroking his fringe and softly pressing into that sweet spot at the back of his head. Looking up he stared at her, lilac meeting chocolate, “Your eyes, ever since I first saw you I have always fallen to thinking about your eyes, your smile… your whole face in general. Whenever I was lonely, or feeling down out there, before I saw you again and before our camps merged… I would sit up late on watch and just think of your smile. How it made me feel warm inside. How hearing you whoop, laugh, and joke with your comrades in the battle made me feel like we actually had a chance. If anyone was going to pull us all out of it, that person was going to be you.”  
            Sterling looked surprised before she cupped her face with both hands and smiled, sniffling as she started tearing up. He moved his hands and held her face, bringing it up to nuzzle against her. “Why do you cry over that?” he asked with a small smirk.  
            The now Mrs. Reyes wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, he moved his to under her back and held her against him, purring deeply. “Because you just love me, you’ve always just cared and loved me. No one loved me, no one honestly cared for my wellbeing, or if I wanted to do what’s right rather than just survive. You never once stood against me; you always just stood right by me. Now I’m the luckiest person alive, because I get to call you my husband for the rest of our life.” She sniffled, “I got to marry the handsome lilac eyed turian that looked so sad; and I get to make him happy, what a privilege.”  
            “I was sad, then the spirits gave you to me.” he sighed while lying her back down, “Now, I can honestly say each day is a blessing as long as you love me.”  
            She held his face and kissed him deeply, “Every day, every hour, every moment, every fucking second of time I love you. Even when you’re being a shithead.” she laughed as he purred deeply and pressed his head against hers firmly.  
            He nipped at her lower lip, seeking entry, to which she gave as he searched her mouth for her tongue with his own. The human kissing thing was a new thing for him to experience, however he was pleased he’d looked it up all those months ago, that first kiss had been a little awkward, but not meaningless. Now he could honestly say every one that they shared was full of love and meant everything to him. He’d never get tired of the warmth his body filled with and the way his head fuzzed over. She made him dizzy with all her love, and he was happily drunk off it.  
            He reluctantly pulled away, leaving her panting and flushed as he went back to her chest. . He didn’t spend too much time there; he wanted to have her begging him for more, happily moaning as he pleased her. He knew he’d be paying for it in the morning, but this was his wife now, he was going to make it a memorable night even if he couldn’t be inside her.  
            Inhaling as he got to her navel he rested his head there and just breathed in the scent of her wanting him. She wasn’t just some lay, she’d never been that. She’d been his girlfriend, his fiancée, now though, it meant so much more. This was his wife, the woman he would eventually be able to properly bond with once she could physically handle it. Once he’d wondered why the scent of her made him so deliriously happy, it hadn’t been all that hard to figure out when he found it near torture to not be with her. He was hers, forever.  
            The scent had him feeling everything so much, like a truck kept running over him with everything, he gave a needy sigh as he finally hooked his talons into the band of her sleep pants and pulled them down. Exposing the most sensitive and protected place of her. He felt honored that she let him there so willingly, especially with her past. The first time he’d seen it, actually looked, he’d keened for her. She was scarred; it wasn’t like the women on the extranet.  
            She’d begun to cry, thinking he was disgusted by it; however he was far from it. It was her, so he loved it, but he was in pain knowing that she’d been put through that, that the man who did this to her still walked and breathed. She wasn’t hairless like most women there because the hair hid all the scars, he didn’t mind. Yeah, it was a little strange the first time he’d put his mouth on her, but he wasn’t put off by it. Quickly it became normal as he got to please her.  
            That was no different now as he looked at her, his heart beating fast as he got on his knees and lifted her hips, wanting her to see him happily feast upon her. Sterling gasped as he lifted her very well endowed hips, thighs, and ass, her hands shooting down to cover herself. He nipped at her fingers and squinted at her. She looked away, red in the face as he ran his tongue up her folds. He moved it so that her thighs rested on her shoulders, he could lean forward on his synthetic arm while stroking her waist and hip with his natural one. Quickly he fell into the pleasing action of lapping at her; even more so when his mouth was flush against her, his tongue deep inside her, slithering against the inner walls. His upper mouth pate pressed against her clit and vibrating as he purred, she gave a strained noise and reached up, stroking his fringe with one hand and holding his hand to her hip with the other, a firm grip on his wrist.  
            Her insides had more firm lines running through her, all the way to her cervix, he’d never seen them, but he’d felt them with his tongue and fingers. The scaring of her being hurt over and over, matching the ones all over her abdomen that were so clearly visible. He hated them, he hated that they were there, keeping her from being able to be fully pleased by him right away.  
            He kept his eyes closed as he focused on pleasing her, his tongue rubbing against that small spot inside her that made her shiver and curl her toes. Furrowing his brow he purred harder, a small part of him desperate to make him climax, the rest of him desperate for the taste of her coming. He growled and got on his knees, both hands now holding her hips firmly as she ground against him, his face pushing further into her core. Sterling whimpered, her hips bucking slightly at the sensations, she panted and looked up at him, he opened his eyes and focused on her. He held her gaze as he pulled away and showed her just how much of her fluids and his saliva were stuck to his mouth and tongue.  
            Turians typically had dryer mouths, only really drooling when starving or aroused. He pulled in his tongue and smirked at her as she turned bright red and wide eyed. He then gave a long slow lap at her folds before shoving his tongue all the way back into her, the tip of it just barely touching her cervix. She moaned at his eager move and started to shiver, he egged her on with his tongue, his purring getting louder and mixing with a growl as she started to come. He forced her to ride it out. When her hands frantically touched his head he finally pulled away and lowered her hips.  
            “Yes?” he asked as he tasted his tongue and looked at her, she was blushing furiously as he chuffed at her and licked his mouth plates clean. “More?” he asked softly, giving her a sly look as he used his fingers to stroke at her.  
            She couldn’t form words, only giving him a moan and grabbing his head. He kissed her feverishly, she returning the affection just as passionately. “My love?” he purred.  
            She barely breathed out a response as he nuzzled against her, “Would you be willing to return the favor?” he asked. She nodded and kissed him again. He grinned and nuzzled her before lying on his back, propped up against their small mountain of pillows.  
            Sterling slid down so that she could gently peck at his stomach with her lips as she worked his tights over his hip ridges and just barely past his groin. He was fully out, bright blue, now almost painfully hard against his stomach as she released him. Sighing she grabbed him with one hand and ran her tongue around the base, where he had the small beginnings of a knot forming.  
            “That’s right babe…” he chuckled softly as she looked up at him and laved her tongue up his shaft. He hummed happily and reached down, his talons tangling in her short hair. “Suck.”  
            She obeyed as she moved her mouth around to the head of him and she hollowed her cheeks, slowly moving her mouth back and forth. He hissed and gently scratched at her scalp. Her hands now on his thighs and massaging them as she bobbed her head up and down. Gaien closed his eyes and just enjoyed the sensation, already fighting the small burning in his stomach he was feeling. He probably shouldn’t have drank down all her fluids, but the look on her face was too good to not. The taste alone was enough for him to madly crave her sweet nectar. Now the feeling of her mouth on him had him relaxed, a small burn on his abdomen getting outshined by the tight pleased feeling he had over it.  
            He pushed her head down gently, and watched as she swallowed him down, her nose to his plates. He hated the reason why she knew how to do this, but damn him if he wasn’t glad she wanted to do it for him. She swallowed occasionally, her hands rubbing at his thighs as she breathed through her nose.  
            Sterling felt her thoughts muddle as she inhaled the scent of his musk, thick of metal, a little like rain, a tad bitter. It wasn’t bad in her mind in the least, way better than the pungent sour odor she had been forced to go through. She pulled back a bit before taking him all the way again, smiling to herself as he grunted and petted her head. She pulled back and swallowed down the mixed fluids before licking him clean and looking at him with bright eyes.  
            He growled gently at her and forced her head back down, she happily obliged him, he knew full well she’d hurt him if he forced her. Not that he ever had, she’d always been very willing and comfortable with him. He’d always let her stop of she was uncomfortable in the slightest.  
            Humming she continued to deep throat him, letting his hand guide her as she constantly let her throat open for him. He let out a strained sound and she pulled away from him, watching his stomach move as he panted, swallowing the copious amount of his natural lubrication and her saliva before she took him in both hands and roughly pumped at him. He made a desperate noise and sat up, leaning back on his synthetic arm he roughly pushed her head to him and forced her to take it down as deep as she could.  
            Sterling made a strained noise and looked up at him with furrowed brows before she grabbed his sensitive waist firmly and squeezed. The sound he let out as he came sounding as if he was in pain. He fell back and used both hands to keep her head flush to his groin as he emptied himself down her throat. She rubbed at his thighs, breathing through her nose as he finished.  
            She gently pulled away from him, panting as her hand gripped his cock and stroked him slowly, a mild punishment for keeping her there for so long. He whimpered and looked at her. “Sorry baby… it was just really good…” he tried. She huffed at him and squeezed him hard, planning on over stimulation as a torture.  
            “No, Ster, My whole heart…” he begged as his hands gripped at the sheets and ripped at them, he came again quickly, the thick sperm landing on Sterling’s exposed chest before she angled it away and let him cover his own stomach. “FUCK!” he cried.  
            “Don’t be rough.” She croaked out before holding her throat and clearing it. “You know better.” She said as she squeezed at the head of his cock and had him gargle out a pain noise.  
            A string of incoherent words came from his mouth as she ground her thumb against the small slit at the top and forced tortured him. His hands were covering his face as she watched and got her revenge. “I’m sorry! Oh please! Sterling!” he wailed as his hands shot forward and he grabbed her face, kissing her hard. She let go of him and wrapped her arms around his neck to return the passion.  
            Gaien panted as he pulled his tongue from her mouth and pushed her on her back, reaching behind him and grabbing a pillow for her head. She adjusted it as he grabbed her hips and pressed himself against her. He couldn’t enter her yet, so he did the next best thing he could, grind. Firmly, and slowly he ground the underside of his cock between her folds, his pelvis slowly moving as he looked down at her and sighed contently.  
            Strained moans came from her, the almost too hot feeling of him against her causing her to flush again and bite her lower lip. She hugged herself as she moved her hips with his, the ridges that were abundant on his shape doing a lot for her like this.  
            Gaien leaned in and put his head on her chest, breathing hard as he struggled to hold out. Being surrounded by their aroused scent, the feeling of her, how she made noises and responded to him had him on a short trigger. His licked at her breasts, encouraged by how her hands came around his head and firmly rubbed against the spot under his fringe.  
            He began to thrust harder as he pressed his face into her neck, oh he wanted to mark her right there, have her mark him, but he knew he had to wait. If he did that now he’d end up spearing his wife on his cock and seriously hurting her. So he inhaled deeply and held his breath as he lifted his head and snarled, thrusting into her hard a few times before reaching his peak once again. “Fuck yeah…” he breathed as he put his head against hers and nuzzled her firmly. She just gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck once more, holding him there.  
            “Again.”  
            “What?!”  
            “Again.” he repeated as he helped her turn over and pulled her hips back so her ass was firmly against him.  
            “Gaien!” she gasped as he reached under her and slicked his fingers up with her fluids before shoving one into her, his tongue laving at her throat as he felt the tightness of her slowly stretching tunnel.  
            He took her hand, “Make a fist, open it a little.” He sighed into her ear as she did what he asked, he pushed his cock into the ring she’d made and growled, “Add the other hand.” He ordered.  
            Sterling grunted as he pulled his finger from her and moved her other hand there. She shifted into a more comfortable position on her shoulder and looked back at him, “What are you up to?” she asked as he shoved into her grip and sighed.  
            “Getting as close to fucking you normally as I can so far.” He panted as he reached around and shoved a finger back into her; she gave a high pitched noise and bit her lip while whimpering.  
            He then shifted on his knees and leaned over her, his forehead on their mattress as he gave a few testing thrusts. “Okay, this’ll work” he panted as his other hand went between them and to her sex, he pressed hard into her clit and she bucked.  
            “Babe!”  
            “Trust me!” he growled at her as he thrust into her hands and moved his finger inside her slowly. She gave a moan and relaxed as he kept her tight to him. “Whatever you do, keep your hands around my dick.” He hissed into her ear as he thrust and moved inside her simultaneously.  
            She nodded and focused on keeping her hands around him, squeezing slightly and giving a pleased smile as he whined and thrust into her hands harder. She understood what he was up to now, and was appreciative of his creativity.  
            He kept it slow, unable to move very fast since there was a lot of concentration involved in this. He figured it was worth it though, Sterling kept up just fine and she even got into talking.  
            “I love you, so much.” She whispered, he grunted and nuzzled into her head as she said it. He was strained by the feelings but managed to get out his reply.  
            “I love you too, more than anything Honey.” He breathed as he felt her insides start to clench on his finger. She began to pant, her eyes glazing over as she felt him stroking at her insides, coaxing her. “Spirits, do I love you.” He hissed in her ear as he felt his muscles clench and begin to once again hit a climax.  
            Sterling couldn’t get out any words, just barely audible pants as he lost herself to the tight feeling of her husband stretching her. She moaned and whimpered as he started to stroke furiously at her insides, “Gaien.” She breathed.  
            He turned his head and pressed his mandible to her cheek, his brow plates furrowed as he gave a few hard thrusts and finally came. He let out a few higher pitched, dual toned moans, and choked down the purring in his chest as he nipped at her jaw, coaxing her to climax with him.  
            She followed almost immediately after, biting her lip and stifling a cry as he pushed further into her carefully curling his finger to stretch her out. Finally he eased from her and grabbed her thighs at the joint, pulling her as hard into him as he could as she pulled her hands up and gripped at the sheets by her head.  
            “Good?” asked Gaien as he came down from his high, his mouth plates gently nipping at her still clothed shoulder. He moved his hands, one holding his slowly retreating length against her sex and the over coming across her chest to hug her tightly to him.  
            Sterling nodded, “Yeah, you’re inventive.” She smiled as he moved his mouth to her cheek and fluttered his mandibles against her. She giggled and shrugged at the feeling. He purred loudly and nipped at her jaw affectionately.  
            “Of course, gotta be if I want to accomplish everything I need to.” He sighed as he nosed her ear and breathed in her scent again.  
            “You will, if you could figure that out, you will.” She grinned, “Thank you Mr. Reyes.”  
            “You’re _very_ welcome Mrs. Reyes.” He sighed contently into her ear.


	10. Marking?

            “I’ve been defiled by my perverted husband…” groused Sterling as she lay on her back and looked up at the chuckling face of Gaien.   
            “Nah, I just keep setting the ground work to mark you.” He smiled as he grabbed her arms and then hoisted her into a sitting position while he himself sat back on his now bare rear. “Think we should just sleep naked from now on?” he asked as he started peeling off his sleeping leggings.   
            “No, you’re terrible.” She smiled as she pulled down her shirt and pressed her fingers together. “Ugh, I’m so gross right now.” she grimaced at the sticky feeling. Gaien clicked his mandible at her and raised his brow plates.   
            “Yeah, because I am oh so clean. Seriously honey?” he smirked before stretching. “Shower together?” he asked. “Then I can cook while you change the sheets? I’m a little peckish.”  
            “Reverse that, I’ll cook; you clean this up, it’s mostly you anyways.” She snorted before looking at him and then sliding off the edge and landing on her feet. “Besides, you’re going to have a stomachache in a few minutes. I’m guessing zalla broth?”   
            “I knew it was a good Idea to marry you.” He paused, “Speaking of which, I need your signature! It’s not valid unless you sign!” he cried as he jumped down and went after her, quickly catching up and wrapping his arms around her waist, “Please?”   
            “Oh, I forgot.” She laughed as she patted his arm and he pulled it up. She sighed right there, before turning and kissing his cheek. “Okay, Officially Mr. Reyes.” She chimed. “Not that you ever weren’t really, I think shortly after you moved in it was a full shift into domestic mode.”   
            “I like being domestic with you. I like it when we both come home and start cooking things together. I like that you put lotion on your legs while I check my e-mails. I really enjoy all of this simple, yet so wonderful togetherness.” he sighed as she turned in his grip.  
            Sterling gave him a soft look and held his face, she honestly loved it too. While she’d never been without living with someone, she’d felt very much alone in her world. Her family was warm, and she loved them all, but she was a dark horse. She even felt alone while she was in the military, and she’d made a few friends. However, no one quite understood her like she’d wanted.   
            Until she met Gaien, he was a pain in the ass but he knew just how to get to her. He kept the pressure on when she needed it, and pulled away when she really did need to be alone. He knew her sense of humor, and shared the vastness of it. Her quirks didn’t bother him, as his didn’t bother her. They liked a lot of the same things, and were happy to try new things together. He was kind, and sweet, and gentle with her. He was patient with the fact that she couldn’t give him the “normal” kind of sex right away. He even went so far as to work with her so someday, maybe they could.   
            He’d always been watching her back, just as she had his all those months ago when they were on that moon; just as she had been his rock. Her personal hell had strengthened her against the horrors and atrocities she had seen, not much fazed her too much unless it was personal. This was wasn’t honestly against her, it was all of sentient life. She had the ability to become that solid wall that people could find comfort behind. The moment it had fallen to her to pull what little remained of that small army, she’d stepped up and ceased casualties. That didn’t change when the turian camp merged with hers.   
            They’d had more numbers left; then again they had been a full platoon. She’d been part of maybe fifty people all together. Together they were just under two hundred, and it was just two hundred who left. Sterling had literally buckled down against the reapers there, and they hadn’t gotten past her.   
            Gaien was her support; she felt the fire to protect because of him. He was there constantly with her for every watch, every skirmish, and every full out battle. He’d dragged her into cover over a million times when she got so angry she was still tearing through things even when her shields and barrier were down. When the brute had grabbed her and thrown her, it was him who used his thrusters to fly up and catch her.   
            That’d been the first moment that it felt like they held more for each other than just battle buddies. When they’d hit the ground and rolled. The feeling of him on top of her should have had her screaming and kicking, fear so deeply imbedded that if any male was on top of her she would instantly panic. It probably helped that they were both in full armor, and that he wasn’t human, but she also remembered feeling safe. The moment ended when a pair of marauders and some cannibals came at them and they had to jump back into ass kicking, but it had still been a moment.   
            He hadn’t been awkward after that either, unlike her, who stumbled over her words and had a hard time meeting his eyes. He’d just kept smiling at her and being friendly and close with her. Even if there had been subtle changes: he held her tighter to him if he’d dragged her into cover, touching her hand with both as he handed her heat sinks, the one moment where she needed medigel on her back and he had so slowly ran his talon down her spine. Gaien apparently had been more in tune with the fact he felt deeply for her. While Sterling was internally screeching at everything going on plus her emotions, war was no somewhere where one should be falling in love.   
            They did though, Sterling knew she loved him the moment they parted, and it had hurt. Gaien had also figured it out then, because he had to fight the urge to run back and cling to her with every step he took further from her. When they had reunited however, Sterling had buried her feelings because she was so sure that she wasn’t worth it.   
            The fact that her rapist had sought her out and “taken what was his” only three weeks before Gaien had woken up didn’t help anything. At the time she was so sure she would never be loved, because someone already owned her and told her so.   
            That shithead of a turian though had wormed his way back into her heart, and now he owned her. It wasn’t just pain either, she owned him too, and every moment with her now husband was perfect and wonderful and just perfect.

            “Honey.” whined Gaien as he finally felt the effects of his levo sensitivity, he really shouldn’t have swallowed, but it was his wife. Lucky for him, Sterling was right there with zalla soup. Both showered, and their sheets bow clean, Sterling sat close next to him and rubbed his back as he ate, small sounds of discomfort coming from him as his stomach started to punish him.   
            “Aww, sweetheart…” she gave him a sympathetic look, “I love you, I love that you want to do that for me, but it’s not necessary.” she whispered to him as she touched her head to his temple.   
            “It is too.” He said stubbornly as he rested his head down on the table and held his stomach. “Don’t argue, it’s important to me.”   
            Sterling smiled weakly and ran her hand over his fringe, “Alright.” she sighed as she moved to rub his back. “Is it because you can’t… go in?” her voice taking on that sad note.   
            Gaien looked at her, “Don’t start Ster… I mean. Yes, it is, but that’s not your fault. I don’t blame you; I’m not angry or upset in any way at you. I will kill that guy if I ever meet him, but I don’t blame you in any way.” he gave her a pleading look; he needed her to understand that. “Besides, look how creative we get to be.”   
            “But you can’t do… whatever the marking thing is… its important right?” asked Sterling as she scratched his plates lightly. He liked it when she scratched at him, just as she liked having her scalp scratched.   
            “It is, but it’s not possible right now without severely hurting you.” He sat straight before scooting forward and leaning back, coaxing her to come sit in his lap. “Want a lesson in turian mating?”   
            Sterling complied and came to him, her arms going around his neck and inside his cowl, she held him tightly. He couldn’t help but begin to purr; just having her close to him like this already had him feeling better. She shrugged at his question and he rubbed her back as he thought on how to begin to explain such an intimate and probably really fucking weird thing to her.   
            “Marking, it’s… It’s biting your life mate. All couples do it, whether they’re _bonded_ or not.” He then caught himself. “Life mates are couples who marry each other, and may like each other a lot, but they’re not connected on such a deep level. They don’t have a literally unbreakable bond.” With a nuzzle into her neck he continued, “Bonded couples are just, it’s like they’re done. That is their soul mate it is the one person they will ever love for the rest of their lives. That’s how I feel about you, just so you know.”   
            Sterling lifted her head and pressed her forehead to his, “Me too.”  
            “Humans don’t bond babe.”   
            “Not like turians, but some of us can only love so deeply once. I’ve never loved anyone like I love you, I never will. I would give you a _bombast_ of how I feel so warm and it’s love… but I’ll just get to the bottom line. I have never once felt loved, and cared for, and safe. You make me feel like all of that, and I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to make you feel the same.”   
            Gaien looked at her, his eyes a little shocked before he hugged her tightly and buried his nose in her neck. “You already do.” he sighed. He didn’t realize that her love went so deep, that a human could love so deeply. He’d only ever heard of them being fickle… and he’d still bonded himself to her despite the fact he knew fully well that she could change her mind and leave him at any time. It made him feel safer than ever that she loved him on the same level, Sterling wasn’t the type to express her inner feelings freely. He believed her, whole heartedly he believed she loved him just as much.   
            “So… Marking?” she asked after a few long moments of holding each other.   
            He smirked, “Right.” leaning back he looked at her, “It’s a physical mark, claiming this person belongs to you, and vice versa because couples mark each other. It almost always happens during sex, where a male can tie himself to a female and they are locked together. Now a male and female don’t always have to be a couple to tie, they can kind of just do it with anyone and the mood feels right.”   
            “Okay, so what’s tying?”   
            Gaien rubbed his neck nervously, “Erm…” he looked at her bashfully, “You know how there’s this thicker part at the base of my dick? It’s a knot, I’ve been taking a pill to keep me from letting it expanding… so I won’t just…” he drifted off and cleared his throat, before meeting her eyes with his mandibles tight to his face.   
            Sterling cocked her head and looked at him questioningly, before it clicked to her and she looked a little startled. “Baby…” she breathed as she leaned in and kissed his mouth plates.   
            He sighed at the affection happily before continuing, “Yeah, so… when I finally can mark and tie with you, it’s um… it’s gonna be weird.” he huffed as he looked up at the ceiling.   
            His wife just started laughing under her breath and pressed her lips to his jugular. “That’s okay, I trust you.” she grinned at him. “Just don’t rip me.”   
            “I never would!” he gaped at her, “Sterling, I will _NEVER_ hurt you. Not intentionally anyways, and I have been very careful so far. I’m not planning to stop that.”   
            She just nuzzled him and gave him an imitation purr, “Would it be bad if I marked you too?” she asked.  
            “You…” he stopped looking at her in disbelief, “You’d want to?”  
            “Of course! It means a lot to you, and you are mine. Mine and only mine!” she sighed to him as she rubbed her cheek against him, not unlike a cat marking their favorite object. “I’m a selfish bitch, I don’t share and I don’t ever plan to just let go of you. You’d be worth fighting for.”  
            His purring was thundering now, he felt so… elated, to know she loved him so much. So much that she wanted to mark him too, she wanted him to proudly wear her mark. He would, he would flaunt it around every chance he got. He honestly didn’t give one fuck of he would be laughed at because she was human. He loved his wife, his mate, his only love.


	11. Silent Vows

            “Honey!” called Gaien as he walked in the front door of their tiny apartment. “I’m back, brought you everything! And then some!”   
            “On the Com!” called Sterling as she stood over the stove wearing only his t-shirt. He looked around the corner and smirked at her, his eyebrow plate rising as he hung up his coat and removed his boots.   
            “No, Mom… we really can’t just up and leave. Gaien has a job here, we’re fine and happy.” she sighed, only barely smiling as her turian husband stalked over and hugged her from behind. His face burying in her neck as he inhaled her scent and began to lay on the affection thick.   
            “Why not?! And what do you mean Gaien has a job? He’s an Alien!” came her mother’s voice. “Pet’s don’t work Meja!”   
            “For the last time _mother_ Gaien is not a pet, he’s my husband; a sentient being known as a Turian.” Sterling hissed, bristling. Her mate just chuckled under his breath and hugged her tighter. He was used to not being viewed as much of a person, all that mattered to him was that his mate and wife loved him and thought of him as one.   
            “Fine, whatever! I still can’t believe you just up and got married! What about Roy?!” she asked firmly.   
            Gaien lifted his head and growled hearing the name; Sterling tensed a little a bit her lip but sighed and kept her voice steady. “Mom, there isn’t anything there. I’m happy, I love Gaien very much. We fought in the war together Mom…”   
            “Can he offer you anything?”   
            “He gives me everything. No, he’s not super rich or human, he’s not going to up and take you to Italy whenever you want… but he’s a good man who cares for me and loves me very much. We’re happy, we are just happy and comfortable together.” She spoke softly, getting a grin on her face as Gaien purred in her ear. She lifted a hand to hold his head against hers and he flicked his mandible against her cheek.   
            “What about grandchildren?!”   
            “If we decide we want to have kids we can adopt.”   
            “Are you going to come home?”  
            “Probably not.”  
            “Why?!”  
            “Because…” she didn’t want to tell her mother and get yelled at again about Roy and what he’d done to her. She just wanted to have her life with her husband, continue their simple marital bliss. They both worked part time, putting away money as well as storing their military checks away. Gaien and her were comfortable, they wanted for nothing, they had food, they spent time together, they could go on a date once a week… it was so perfectly domestic.   
            “You have to come home… who is going to take care of momma?” she asked sadly.   
            Sterling looked at her feet. Gaien knew that look; it was the one she got when guilt was starting to eat at her. He nipped at her neck softly as his hands ran over her sides and stomach. He’d go wherever she wanted to go, but he didn’t want her to be forced into anything. He knew her family hated the fact they were together, since they had been pushing her rapist onto her for years. Yeah, Gaien was going to let that happen, maybe over his cold dead rotting corpse.   
            “I’ll talk to Gaien about it.” said Sterling firmly, “It’s not just me anymore mom, it’s me and him. You and the family are going to have to accept that, if you can’t, well… your loss.”   
            He sighed contently as her hand found the soft spot under his fringe, purring he ran his hands down her legs before hugging her tightly again. He didn’t want any of the memories of her trauma coming back. She didn’t belong to that waste of flesh, she was his.   
            “Alright, I love you Meja.” There was a long pause, “Tell Gaien I look forward to meeting him and that he better take good care of you.”   
            Sterling looked shocked before she smiled weakly, “I will mum, and thank you.” She grinned, “Love you.”  
            “Love you too Punkin.” She said before she hung up.

            “Your mother is a trip…” sighed Gaien as he stood straight and removed the ear piece from Sterling’s ear, placing it on the table behind him.   
            “You have no idea.”  
            “I will soon.” He laughed as he leaned his head down; sterling tilted hers back as he pressed his forehead to hers. “So…”  
            “I don’t know.”   
            “Okay.” Was all he said as he shrugged and then let go of her, undoing the clasps at the sides of his tunic and pulling it off while he walked into their room. He came back out in a few long moments wearing his night leggings. “What about… _him_?”   
            Sterling froze and stared at the meal she was making for them, he’d started building up his tolerance for Levo, since… he was adamant about eating something not entirely edible. They shared a few meals and took daily supplements to balance out their diets. “What about him?”  
            “If we go, and we see him…” he spoke carefully, “If he comes near you…”   
            “I know…”   
            “Good.” He said gently, “Sterling, it’s not… it’s not like…”  
            She turned and looked up at him, “Oh Sweetheart, I know… I know you’re not being crazy possessive or controlling.” she soothed.   
            “You’re my mate; we belong to each other… even if he wasn’t that kind of person. I wouldn’t want him near you. But he did terrible things to my love, my wife… Sterling you are my everything…” he sighed sadly as he looked at his feet.   
            “I know Gaien, you’re my everything too. I’m only here because of you, I only stayed alive because I fell so hard for you.” she told him gently. He looked at her and then came to her quickly.   
            “If we go, I won’t let him near you. You protected and stood by me… it’s my turn.” He swore while leaning down to kiss her. “I’m a turian, we protect our mates.”   
            “Best kind of husband, the kind that is truly devoted.” she smiled against his mouth. “I am so lucky, I found the perfect man.”  
            “I found perfection.” He purred at her as he nipped at her bottom lip. She hummed happily at him, his affections bringing her so many warm and loving feelings. She really did love him, and he was not shy about showing his love for her. That’s why they worked she guessed, because they were open and honest to each other. There hadn’t been any marriage vows because they didn’t need them; it all went un-vocalized, but said none the less.


	12. Traveling Back Home

            “You’re telling me you never learned to drive?” asked Gaien as he looked down at his wife. He wasn’t exactly someone who could talk, since he had learned, and knew how… he just didn’t really drive that often. They’d made the voyage, and began to relocation, to Colorado in the USA there on Earth. It had been a long two week voyage across the Atlantic.   
            Sterling had handled it just fine; it was Gaien who had been miserable. Not only did turians not swim, he got seasick hardcore. Two full weeks of him just trying to sleep through it and not lose what little was in his stomach; he’d basically only been able to keep down broths and breads. Anything else and he was going to lose it to the head.   
            She’d taken care of him of course. Lots of affection, all her love, all her time, she constantly did her best to bring him edible dextro food. Most of the voyage he’d slept with his head on her chest and hugging her tightly, groaning and trying to only focus on the feeling of her hands gently rubbing his back to soothe him.   
            Land had never seemed better; Gaien had been the first off the ship, shoving past an elderly couple to throw himself onto the dock. Sterling had apologized profusely to them before scolding him. Now they were at the travel port, renting a vehicle to drive with. Not a skycar either, nope, they were going old school. Gas ran four wheel drive.   
            “Well, I just never learned! I meant to tell you…” whined Sterling as she hugged herself. “Look! No one had time to help me learn when I was younger, and the military didn’t exactly have a need for drivers.”   
            “Babe… we’ve been married three months, this should have come up sooner! I would have taught you.” He grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently, “You giant dorky woman!”   
            Sterling had been afraid he was genuinely upset, but as he shook her and then went to nipping at her neck and groping her in front of everyone she began laughing. “HEY!” she squealed as his hands grabbed her ass and pulled her against him tightly.   
            “Nah, punishment.” He chuckled before resting his head against hers and chuffing at her lovingly. “Get in, we’d better get going then…” he sighed as he got into their rental and adjusted the seat to hold him. It wasn’t a good fit, but he wasn’t too uncomfortable.   
            Sterling sighed and got into the passenger’s side. “Okay, well, at least you’ll get to see a lot of my home?” she offered. He looked at her and raised a brow plate. With a chuckle he then reached behind them and pulled out a bag.   
            “Well, At least we can use these now.” He grinned placing it in her lap. Sterling opened it and then began to laugh, matching pairs of sunglasses; one for his head shape and one for hers.   
            “You’re cute.” She grinned as she leaned over and kissed his mandible. Putting on the pair and she watched as he put on his own and then scanned the car with his omni-tool.   
            “Okay, I can do this.” He shrugged before starting the car and putting it into drive. “Is it sad that the majority of our stuff is weapons and armor? We have like… three boxes of home stuff, and four bags of clothes…” he asked while driving up to the checkpoint and letting them scan his ‘tool.   
            “Welcome to the USA Lieutenant Mr. Reyes and you too Lieutenant Mrs. Reyes; please be mindful that there are still several dangers along the travel routes, though I suspect you two will be fine.” said the human guard as he handed them a data pad with instructions, resource numbers, and other helpful information.   
            “Thank you!” grinned Sterling as she leaned onto her husband’s arm and felt her whole body grow warm. She loved being referred to as a missus, it just made her whole day when Gaien or someone else referred to her as his wife.   
            Gaien smiled and waved as he put his arm around Sterling and then placed his left arm back on the wheel, their journey just starting.

            “Mom! I know it would only take three days, but Gaien and I want to stop and see a few things that happened to not get destroyed by the Reapers…” sighed Sterling as she held her hand to her ear and talked to her mother while Gaien went inside a motel to see if he could get them a room. “Yes, that’s why we’re going to take a week! Yeah, we can stop by Texas and see if they still have pecans. No, he won’t mind.” Sterling knocked her head back against the back of her seat.   
            Gaien rushed back into the large hatchback vehicle and grabbed a towel to dry off his fringe. He looked at Sterling and nodded while panting. “Your mom?” he asked curiously.   
            “Yeah.”  
            “Hi Mom!” called Gaien, being cheeky. He didn’t expect the response he got.   
            “Did he just call me Mom!?” asked Sterling’s mother, “Oh hello! Baby boy you be careful! Take good care of my punkpin pie!”   
            Gaien sat in shock while Sterling laughed softly and looked at him sympathetically. “You’re gonna make me a widow mom, I know you’re growing fond of the idea of him already. Just, take it slow, he’s not used to having a big family, he grew up alone.”  
            “He what?! No Mommas?!” she asked loudly.   
            “No, mum, he’s an orphan. He was raised in a group home until he was five and sent to work in the mines.” She sighed as she looked at Gaien who was just smiling at her gently, “He’s fine mom, and he’s not lonely.”  
            “No! All babies need mommas! You be good to him Sterling! Poor thing, all alone by himself and working while still a baby!” she seemed to be tearing up. “Ugh, well I better let you two go, I’m sure you want to sleep. He’d been driving all day hasn’t he?”   
            “Yeah, he’s pretty tired. Love you mom.” smiled Sterling.   
            “Love you two too! Be safe!” called Ms. Reyes as she ended the call.   
            Sterling sighed before looking at Gaien and smiled gently, “I love you…”  
            “I love you too…” he breathed out as he leaned over and kissed her. “I got a room, one of the ones with the vehicle safe.”   
            “Oh wow! You’re amazing my darling!” grinned Sterling as he started the car again and drove to around the back.

            Once inside Gaien dropped their overnight bags and looked around. The room was clean, but very plain. Not even a TV, much to Sterling’s disappointment.   
            “Aww, I was hoping for a movie…” sighed the Mrs. as she took off her shoes and stretched.   
            “We don’t need television to entertain ourselves baby…” purred Gaien as he rushed her and threw her back on the bed. His knee coming down between her legs as he bent his head to nuzzle her gently, slowly he moved his mouth to kiss her.   
            “I thought you were tired.” laughed Sterling as she threw her arms around his neck, her mouth opening for his as he caressed her tongue with his.   
            Gaien straightened and pulled off his shirt before looking down at her, “Oh, I always have the energy and stamina to make love to you…” he paused and ran his hands up her waist while he bent his head and nipped at her neck, “…Mrs. Reyes.”   
            His wife arched her back up into him and he rumbled, pleased at her reaction. While he was tired, he definitely could find the motivation to stay up a few more hours and bring his wife to his level of exhaustion.


	13. A Forever deal Baby.

            It was an entirely new experience for Sterling. To be sexually intimate and feel comfortable, even loved during it. That’s how it felt with Gaien, even that first time with all their mistakes and then the unhappy ending. She’d been upset she couldn’t please him, but he’d more than proven how much he loved her with his patience.   
            He truly didn’t mind, it was a little frustrating sometimes trying to come up with new ways that he could sexually please her and try to contain himself from marking and tying with his wife. He loved Sterling though, she was his one and only and he’d do anything for her; anything to make her happy and feel loved. Which he was surprisingly good at, especially since he desperately wanted to be inside her at the moment.   
            Watching her face, the way her eyes were closed and she bit her lip between sighs, he didn’t think watching her grind herself down on his shaft would be so very pleasing. It was however, so very pleasing. How her stomach and hips moved as she gyrated, his hands on her hips and guiding her gently, he didn’t think he’d develop the tightness in his gut as soon as he did. She was something to anyways watch though, her face so expressive when she was enjoying it. He loved every moments of making love to her.   
            Sterling panted gently, her hands up and holding the back of her neck and she continued to move to her leisure. Who knew those ridges could feel so good? She didn’t for one, since he was her first alien, and the first person she’d ever been consensual with. It honestly didn’t take much for her to get off anymore, the initial fear of being with him gone. He knew how to hold her, touch her, and press all the right buttons; all of which he had found on his own since she didn’t even have an idea of them.   
            Talons dug into her hips a little harder as he growled and shut his eyes. Exhaustion was taking its toll and he could barely move, however he didn’t want to come again until she had her third. Honestly, he couldn’t be more thankful that things had gone so smoothly on their first day of travel. Especially the part about getting to sleep with his wife since it’d been two weeks.   
            She reached her peak with a heavy shiver and a loud gasp, her hands coming down to hold his sides as he finally bucked up once against her and came as well, his seed shooting up his stomach and pooling there.   
            “Good?” asked Sterling curiously, her face flushed as she looked at him. She was always a little nervous afterwards, considering he still couldn’t enter her. It was a little better now, he could get the whole head in, but that’s where it stopped being mildly uncomfortable and began to cross into painful.   
            Gaien looked at her before he tilted his head and smiled at her, his eyes wearing a soft look. “Always, Sterling… trust me, nothing is better than seeing you happy and relaxed. Plus I wouldn’t come if it wasn’t enjoyable.” he laughed softly as he lifted his real hand to caress her face. “I love you.”   
            “I love you too.” she sniffled as she held his hand to her face. He leaned up before going back and leaning on his synthetic hand.   
            “What’s wrong?” he asked gently, his talons going through her now neck length hair. “You know you can talk to me baby.”   
            Sterling nodded as she nosed into his palm, “I’m scared, I’m really scared.”   
            “Why?”  
            “I don’t want to see him, Gaien he hurt me just a little before you woke up. He’d going to do it again, he’s gonna… It’s been happening continuously since I was eighteen. I’m thirty three now!” she hugged herself then and started crying. “I’m married, I have a good man to call my husband, and yet I just know he’s going to find some way to hurt me.”  
            Gaien searched her face, trying to find a way to comfort her. He didn’t know exactly how to other than just being there. “Baby, he’s not going to touch you. I won’t let him; he has to go through seven and a half feet of turian badass to get to you.”   
            She nodded furiously as she covered her face and sobbed. “I don’t want him to hurt you… I love you so much. Oh Gaien, I really do, more than anything in this universe. If something happened…” she drifted off and shivered in front of him as if she wasn’t the strong N7 slayer he knew she could be. He’d seen her rip things apart and she had led all of them through survival on that moon.   
            “Let me get us a clean towel to clean up, then we’ll talk through this okay?” he asked. She nodded and she rolled off him, thankful they’d had the foresight to lay down a large towel to keep the mess off the sheets.

            He returned, and they cleaned up. He pulled on some underwear, and she did too, as well as his shirt. Gathering her up, they tangled together their limbs and Sterling kept silently sobbing into his chest as he held her tightly and rumbled against her, attempting to calm her without words. He didn’t want to speak until she was ready.   
            “I’m sorry.”  
            “What for?” he asked gently, surprise not vacant from his voice however.  
            She sniffled, “You picked me, and I’m just a worthless piece of trash that another man destroys at his leisure and you can’t even fuck me.”  
            “You are not trash!” snapped Gaien as he pressed his head against hers. “You are not worthless. You are not trash. He will never have you again, because you are mine Sterling Reyes. You are my wife, my mate, and my whole heart.” he hissed at her as he held her tighter to him, possessively, protectively. “It doesn’t matter if I can’t fuck you or not.”   
            “You don’t want to?”   
            “No!”  
            Sterling started to push away from him, sobbing harder, he pulled her back. “You’re not just a fuck baby.” he whispered to her. She hiccupped and he pulled her tightly to him, her head under his chin as he curled around her. “I’ve never wanted to just get inside you Sterling. Yes, I want to mark you, tie with you, and make you mine in every way imaginable. I can wait until your body is ready for that though. Until then I am ecstatic to be able to make love to you. I will always make love to you, even after we reach the point when I can be inside you.”   
            Gaien held her tightly and gave a small keen, “I love you. You are everything to me, and I know you love me just as much. That’s why I am always going to protect you, and that’s why I will always remind you that you are not a weak child. You’re a strong, beautiful, wonderful, kind, perfect woman.”   
            “I’m not perfect.” she told him between heavy sobs.   
            “Yes you are. If not for everyone, at least you are for me. That’s all that matters.” he insisted as he moved her head and kissed her. “My perfect match.”  
            Sterling returned the kiss, her fingers digging into the softer hide inside his cowl as she clung to him. She couldn’t deny, being wrapped up by him like this? It felt so warm and safe. Spikes, plates, hide, teeth, and talons… as dangerous and scary as they were, Sterling felt so safe and loved being surrounded by them. Gaien wasn’t going to let her get hurt, he wasn’t going to let himself get hurt for her sake.   
            “You’re mine…”   
            “Yes, I will forever be.”   
            “Really?”  
            “Yes, even if you ever, on the smallest chance, decide to leave me… I will only ever love you.” He breathed as he settled his head against hers.   
            Sterling’s breath hitched as she nuzzled against him and he purred at her, “I won’t. I can’t.”  
            “You always could.”  
            “No, my heart would never let me. It’s completely yours.”  
            Gaien swallowed thickly, forcing down a keen. “I’ll always be here for you Sterling, just as you have always been here for me. We’re a forever deal baby.”   
            “Yeah.” She whimpered as she held herself tighter. “A forever deal.”  
            Tightly he held her to him, before reaching for one of their blankets (he was not sleeping with the motel’s he’d seen that documentary about the filthiness of human lodgings away from home) and pulling it over them. “Want to know something?” he asked gently.   
            “What?” her voice barely there as she held onto him as if she would lose herself if she didn’t.   
            “I think, we should build our own home when we finally settle. Together.”   
            “You do?”   
            “Mmhmm.” he hummed as he rubbed her back and purred. “We’ll have a nice little place in the mountains. Big windows, reinforced bullet proof glass. A huge porch, a small farm, lots of flowers and many vegetables that we can both eat. We’ll be able to take walks together, in clean air.”   
            “I like that…” she sighed as she began to settle, “A large kitchen, where we can cook meals together. Invite all the friends we’ll make together.”  
            “Yeah.” He breathed in and rumbled out contently at the thought. “We’ll adopt a yannah, big catlike creature, you’d love them.”   
            “Mmm, and we’ll have a fireplace, where we can lay together and cozy up.” she smiled, “Keep warm together.”  
            “Mmmm, making love in front of a fireplace, classically romantic.” he paused, “If not a little cliché.”   
            She laughed softly and sniffled, her body finally relaxing, “You know you like it.”  
            “Like it? I love it.” he chuckled, “I love every part of you, even the part that leaves teabags all over the counter.”   
            “Good, because I love every part of you, even the part that never puts his dishes in the sink.” She grinned.   
            “Well, I’ll make sure to install a dishwasher.” He sighed as he pressed his mouth to her forehead and settled. “We’ll make a good life together my love. I promise.”  
            “Me too, I promise that I will do everything I can to help with that.” she sighed, her hands coming to his chest as she snuggled into him.   
            “Good.” He breathed in gently.   
            Sterling yawned and nuzzled into his throat. “I love you.”  
            He chuckled sleepily and smiled, “I love you too.” he breathed out.   
            “A forever deal?” she asked gently.   
            “A Forever deal Baby.” he promised.


	14. Glow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry, short

            They woke up early, showered, dressed, checked out, and then were quickly on the road again. Gaien feeling much better after five hours of deep sleep, Sterling was still a little quiet, but she was okay for the most part.   
            Breakfast was MRE’s that they picked up for cheap and stored in the back of the car, Gaien had a cup of instant kava while Sterling drank tea. Driving wasn’t so bad, he was actually finding himself enjoying it as he looked at the ever changing scenery that was around him.   
            “You never told me Earth was so beautiful…” he said in awe as he looked out at the bright purple lavender fields that they were driving through.   
            Sterling smiled gently at him, “I wanted you to be surprised that the whole planet is different.”   
            Gaien looked at her briefly and chuffed affectionately, his hand going to hers and taking it. She laced their fingers together and gazed lovingly at him. She loved her husband, he always looked so happy and pleased to see a new place. Truthfully he was, he’d never done much travel, mostly just while working in the military. It was also a little hard to sight see and take in the environments of other planets while being shot at.

            The second night of traveling Gaien got them another room at another motel. Walking into the room he was a little less than impressed, and yet again… not a working tv.   
            “Awww… I really wanted to see a movie…” sighed Sterling as she placed her bag down on the table in the corner and looked sadly off into space.   
            “We don’t need TV to have fun Honey.” said Gaien with a soft smile as he typed on his omni-tool and pulled up a slow song.   
            “What are you up to? I’m not really in the mood sweetheart…” she sighed as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.   
            He chuckled and nipped at the back of her neck, “Who said anything about sex?”   
            Sterling snorted, “That’s all you ever want to do, every night if I didn’t stop you.”  
            He shrugged, it wasn’t a lie. However Turians tended to be a little more sexually open and he was no exception. He however only wanted to be with his wife, and not indulge in others. “Not tonight.”   
            Slowly he turned her around and took her hand, his synthetic one moving her free hand to his shoulder before he rested it on his waist. “How about a little romance?”  
            She was shocked; they’d never done anything like this before. He wasn’t short on affection; of course he was always almost clinging to her. However, they’d never done anything one could label as “romantic”. He looked down at her and took a step, she instinctively followed. “So you do dance.” He smiled.   
            “I know how, to slow dance anyways… nothing that would be appropriate for nightlife.” she shrugged as he slowly turned them. She couldn’t help the smile that crept onto her face.   
            “Good.” He purred at her as he leaned in and rested his forehead against hers, just slowly rocking to the slow sound of the cello. “I love you Sterling, you’re the best thing to ever happen to me.”  
            “I love you too Gaien, if it wasn’t for you…” she drifted off, he tilted his head and kissed her long and slow.   
            “No.” he whispered, “This was meant to happen, and you weren’t meant for that. You were meant to be the best, most talented, most beautiful soldier to ever exist. You were meant to be my match.”  
            Sterling couldn’t help but sniffle at his words, tears rolling down her cheeks as he purred low in his chest. “Gaien…”  
            “I’m so blessed; the spirits had dealt me a bad hand before I met you.” he gently nipped at her lower lip in his version of a peck. “I was alone, considered worthless, ready to throw myself at the reapers until I was killed.” he sighed and opened his eyes to look at her, she met his gaze. “Then, this bright and breathtakingly warm human crossed my path, she did it again and again while I faced off with the incarnates of death and destruction.”   
            Breathlessly she stared into his eyes, the beautiful purple and lavender tones enchanting her. “I fell in love with you; I’d never met someone who could stand strong and still be as kind as you. Spirits did I ever fall in love with you, walking away before the final push? Hardest thing I’d ever had to do my entire life.” his words making her flush deeply.   
            “You made the pain go away…” she mumbled to him, “No one has ever done that, and you just had to smile at me and I felt warm and bright inside again. It wasn’t just an act I played in order to be normal. I honestly felt like a person again when I was around you.”   
            “You’re always a person my love.” whispered Gaien as he nuzzled against her, “I’ll never let you hurt again Sterling, this I swear. I’m not _ever_ going to let you get hurt again. You protected me and everyone else on that rock, you cared for and nursed me back to health… it’s my turn.”   
            “I don’t hurt nearly as much as I used to… you make my days brighter, worth living for. You give me all the hope to dream and imagine us having a life.” She stepped closer and rested her head against his chest, her left hand sliding under his and gripping his shoulder from behind. “You’re my family; my everything.”  
            They fell silent then and just rocked together, Gaien resting his mouth plates against her forehead for a few moments as the song ended and the music stopped. “I love you.”  
            “I love you too.” She sighed contently, lifting her head and standing on her toes so she could press her lips to his mouth plates, her tongue sliding into his mouth as he moved to deepen the kiss.   
            He couldn’t contain the happy rumbling in his chest. Purring loudly he just basked in the warm glow that they made for each other.


	15. Before the Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't been feeling well at all recently, my Depression has came back with a vengeance, as well as has my sickness sucker punched me again. I am trying to update as much as I can, but I usually spend most of my time either sleeping, or playing ME3MP on PC. Hopefully this little bit of energy will last long enough for me to give out a couple updates.

            Travelling was exhausting when all one did was stay on a ship for days on end. Actually driving? Doing the work that came with it? It had its good and bad sides. Gaien was exhausted, but he was still so glad they did it this way. All the pictures, memories, everything they’d seen and done together over the past week made him feel accomplished. He’d just spend a good amount of time with his wife, the woman who he was forever bound to. They’d seen things, taken holos of them, and small movies. Gaien had pressed a bunch of flowers for her in one of his journals, she’d shamelessly been all over him. That alone boosted his ego and made him all the more confident about them being out in the open together.   
            Now however, he was nervous again. “Honey…” he whispered as he sat in the car only a block from her mother’s home. “Sterling… I’m scared.” He admitted while looking at his hands in his lap sadly.   
            He’d expected her to laugh at him, instead she slid into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, her forehead to his. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. I love my mother… but Gaien, you’re my husband, my bondmate. I’ll pick you over them.”   
            He nodded gently before he held her tightly and hid his face in her chest. He was shaking, his nerves of steel not extending to meeting his new family. Sterling’s soft sounds and her hands gently running over his head and shoulders did leaps and bounds to sooth him, but he still was scared that they wouldn’t like him. That they’d be angry with her…  
            “They’re not going to be happy at first… but if they want me, and our future children in their lives they’ll just have to accept I married you. We’re a forever deal… right my beloved?” asked Sterling as she held his head tightly to her chest.   
            “Always, I am always and forever yours.” He told her as he looked up from her chest. “Are you mine?”   
            “I will never love anyone like I love you. You are the one soul in this entire universe that I am happy with. I am yours forever Gaien, I’m yours and only yours.” She whispered as she rested her nose bridge against his. He sighed contently and held her tighter; she was the one thing he couldn’t live without.   
            “Yeah…” he breathed heavily as he gripped her to him tighter. He was terrified that she would suddenly think he wasn’t good enough for her. He loved her with everything he was; thankfully the sane part of him knew that Sterling wasn’t the kind of woman to say she loved someone and not mean it. If she told him she loved him so deeply, she meant it.   
            He started the car and waited as she shifted off him and fell back into the passenger’s seat. Her face looked at his and gave him an encouraging look, her hand reaching and lacing her fingers with his awkwardly. She understood him being nervous; they hadn’t done any of this “right”.  
            They’d been soldiers in a war, who found companionship and a friendly bond on the battlefield, which had grown into affection, and that then had grown into love. There wasn’t any real dating, or seeing each other, meeting the family, asking permission for anyone’s hand. It had just been Gaien realizing he couldn’t be without Sterling, and her accepting his love happily. Now they were meeting their new family, and as much as Gaien had feigned being excited, he was scared out of his mind.   
            “I love you.” whispered Sterling as he turned off the engine in the driveway of her mother’s house. It was a tiny thing, a little shabby, but it had a certain charm to it. He had been looking and questioning why it seemed to bow…  
            He looked at her and returned the soft loving look, “I love you too.” he purred at her as he leaned over and rested his head against hers. She nuzzled him before turning her head and pressing her lips softly to his mouth plates. He returned her kisses as best he could, a low and steady rumble coming from his as the wave of affection washed over him. He could do this, he had his wife and soulmate right there besides him.


	16. Arriving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> arriving at Sterling's mother's home.

            “They’re coming!” cried Sterling’s mother as she peeked out the kitchen window back into the drive way. Amelia Reyes was a quirky woman, much like her daughter was when able to relax. The short, curvaceous woman was in her early sixties, her long salt and pepper hair pulled into a messy pony tail and a set of purple glasses on his nose; wearing a white lacy shirt and jeans, her feet in a pair of obnoxiously pink slippers.   
            “Who’s coming?! Is Meja here?!” asked an older woman as she walked into the kitchen and looked out the window. This woman stood a little taller, same curvaceous and full figure, though her hair was jet black and hanging around her shoulder in styled waves, Candice Reyes. She was Amelia’s older sister, the eldest of four, and Sterling’s godmother.   
            “She really did it…” laughed another woman, this one very short, her long hair also jet black, however it was hanging loose down to her waist. “She actually married an alien…” she laughed before looking at Amelia, “Well, looks like the next children in the family will be hybrids.” She joked, “I’ll be the proud aunt to hybrids..”   
            “Shut up Cassandra.” snapped Amelia as she looked at her second eldest sister. “Meja should have married Roy, I admit that… but look at that smile.” she pointed out how her daughter had a bright look on her face as the Turian who was her husband came around and opened the door of the hatchback for her. “She hasn’t smiled like that in years…”   
            “He’s ugly…” commented the fourth and youngest sister as she stood behind all her sisters and looked over their shoulders. Carolina Reyes, her short hair bobbed and just starting to go grey, she wasn’t as curvy as her sisters, more wispy. “…Couldn’t she pick something that’s nice to look at?”  
            “He’s just fine.” snapped Amelia again as she looked at her new son-in-law. “Turians are tough, strong, noble, and I hear they are very devoted partners. What could be a better match for Sterling than someone like her?”   
            “Roy.”  
            “Well it’s not happening, Sterling married the turian.” she sighed and rounded on her sisters. “We should count her blessings she even married at all, at the rate she was going she was going to be a spinster like me and you two.” she motioned to Cassandra and Carolina. “Roy was a good match for her, but he’s just not the one she picked. Obviously Sterling knows what’s best for her, she picked someone good. From what I hear, the turian is a good man to her and takes good care of her. She loves him, so much that she told us to either accept them or she was leaving the family.”  
            “She wouldn’t! That would break Daddy’s heart.” whimpered Candice as she turned and looked over her shoulder at an elderly man sitting in a recliner with a huge cat in his lap. He was dozing in front of the television.   
            The Patriarch of the Reyes family, Stefan Reyes; once a military man, now retired and just counting the days until he could see his favorite grandchild again. He was the one who claimed to love Sterling the most, especially since she looked just like him. She acted, spoke, and had the same mannerisms as him as well, all in all Sterling Reyes was a Grandpa’s girl.   
            “Momma… she’s going to hate this… she loves Roy.” Sighed Cassandra as she looked at the Matriarch of the family, the woman had thick salt and pepper hair permed short and in curls. She was sitting on the couch watching whatever vid that was on the screen. Stella Reyes, she wasn’t a very kind woman, but she had softened in her later years. She was the strongest pusher for her granddaughter to marry Roy. Her, Cassandra, and Carolina all continued to put on the pressure.   
            “Mom doesn’t love Roy because he’s good for Sterling, she loves him because he’s rich and throws money at everything.” hissed Candice as she turned to look at her niece again. “Aww, how sweet… he won’t let her carry the bags.” she then turned back to her short displeased sister, “See? Look! That’s a man, a man carries the bags. Only weak men refuse to carry them, Roy never carried anything.”  
            “No, he’s smart enough to pay someone else to do it. He didn’t let Sterling carry them either.” huffed Cassandra as she looked the Turian up and down. “You know, the awkward thing is that Meja has been having sex with that…” she added.   
            Amelia looked at her, “ _HE_ is her husband, and I’m not stupid Cassandra… I’m fully aware of the fact that my daughter would have consummated her marriage with her husband.” Sterling’s mother then looked back at her daughter and her husband, watching them warmly. “Besides, that’s none of our business, they’re in love.”   
            “It’s good to see Sterling so happy, love looks good on her.” admired Candice as she grinned at the couple who was now making their way up the stone path through the back garden.

            “I love you~” sang Sterling as she wrapped her arms around Gaien’s neck and looked up at him warmly, “I will always love you and only you, we’re going to get through this. It’s just a meal and visit and then we’re off to our hotel.”  
            “Where we can finally crash?” asked Gaien as he wrapped his long arms around her and pressed his forehead to hers.   
            “After we make love, long and slow for many hours.” she purred at him, her lips pressing to his mouth plates.   
            He nipped at her, purring loudly as he held her tighter, “Have I told you today how perfect and wonderful you are?”   
            “No, but kissing me will make up for it.” she grinned as he chuckled and then leaned in the kiss her deeply. Gaien couldn’t think of a lot of things that were better than being with his wife. Kissing her made him feel like a teenager again, lusting after girls. Making love to her had him higher than if he took a heap of red-sand. Just being hers made him felt complete and whole, something he had never thought he would have.   
            “I love you too by the way.” He whispered to her as he nuzzled her cheek and gave her a turian grin. “Now, I’m carrying the bag.”   
            “I can carry it Gaien…”  
            “I know you can, but I don’t want you too. I want you to walk with me up there, with your absolutely breathtakingly beautiful head on my shoulder and those strong, lovely hands on my arm.” He charmed as he offered her his arm and grabbed the two bags filled with gifts for her, their, family.   
            Sterling blushed and looked at him, her eyes large and bright with so much love for him. If it were possible she would have hearts in them while looking up at him. This made him smile at her gently and return the look before together they walked up the path to her mother’s kitchen door.


	17. Needy

            “Breathe.” Hummed Sterling as she pressed her lips to the cloth covered shoulder of her husband. Gaien had taken a liking to wearing his own designs of clothing, lucky for him Sterling could sew and he was a quick learner. He was in his own version of a hoodie vest, the zipper only halfway up his chest and exposing the dark fabric of a black tank. He still wore his military boots with faux denim turian pants on his legs. His hoodie a dark grey color and matching the human one that his wife wore, they’d found that wearing matching clothing was fun for them so obviously it had become a common thing to have matching articles.  
            Gaien took a deep breath and moved to push on the doorbell before the door swung open. “MEJA!!” cried who he was assuming had to be Sterling’s mother. She looked rather similar, smelled similar; plausible assumption.  
            “Hi mom.” smiled Sterling as she hugged her mother and then quickly retreated back to her husband’s arms. “This is Gaien. You talked to him back in the war.”  
            “Dios Mio! Mr. Alien!?” asked her mother as she grinned and bounced on her feet. “You’re such a good man, you promised you’d make sure my baby got home and look at you delivering her personally! Even making her so happy!” she laughed warmly as she went forward and hugged her son-in-law.  
            Gaien stood rigid and looked at Sterling for help, she just gently gave him an urging look and watched as Gaien swallowed thickly and patted his mother-in-law’s head. “It’s good to meet you Mrs. Reyes.”  
            “Oh I’m not a Missus still a Miss, sadly.” shrugged Amelia as she took a step back. “But you just call me Mom! Or Momma, or Mommy.” She happily giggled and bounced around. Her happiness overflowing that her daughter was just home and married.  
            “How about he just starts with just your first name momma…” laughed Sterling nervously as she looked at her husband who had his mandibles pulled tightly to his face. He was uncomfortable and nearing the boarder of overwhelmed. “Her first name is Amelia, sweetheart.”  
            “Good to meet you Miss Amelia.” said Gaien with a forced smile. He however tightened his grim on Sterling’s waist, as if silently begging her to not leave his side for a moment.  
            Amelia caught onto this and looked at them, “Maybe you should go drop off your bags in your room, then come down to meet the rest of the family before we eat; your Uncle Rob barbequed!” She ushered them into the kitchen and then smiled at them warmly, “You do like barbecue right Mejo?”  
            “Um… my name is Gaien…” corrected the new Mr. Reyes as he stood nervously, “and I really can’t partake in eating any of your food…”  
            “What?” asked Amelia looking heart broken.  
            “No Momma! It’s not that he’s refusing because he wouldn’t like to!” said Sterling hurriedly, “He’s a Turian, and they’re dextro amino based momma. He’d get very sick if he ate our food.” She kind of lied while she explained, before turning to Gaien, “Sweetheart, ‘Mejo’ is a term of endearment; she’s calling you her son.”  
            Gaien then nodded, understanding before he bowed his head, “I am very sorry for the inconvenience!”  
            “It’s okay, I just wish I would have known…” sighed Amelia as she looked at her daughter, “Why didn’t you tell me Sterling?”  
            “I did mom… a lot…” sighed the youngest woman in the family as she gently rubbed at his husband’s hip to calm him, she knew the cause of that rumble he was giving off. “It’s okay though, I’ll look and see if there is somewhere that sells dextro ingredients nearby and then I’ll make him something to eat.” She then paused, “If not, we still have a few MRE’s we can go hunting for a dextro supply tomorrow?” she asked while looking up at her husband, who turned his gaze and looked at her softly, his head coming down to meet hers as he purred.  
            “Sounds good Honey.” He chuffed at her, the feeling of her hand gently rubbing his waist giving him all the comfort he needed. “Also, we’re not staying here over night…”  
            Amelia looked confused before Sterling looked at her, “We’ve got a hotel room waiting for us momma, Gaien wouldn’t be very comfortable squeezing into my twin bed with me.”  
            “Oh… well… okay…” said Amelia as she looked extremely disappointed. Gaien pulled his mandibles to his face again and looked at Sterling, feeling guilty. She met his gaze and sighed, her temple nuzzling against his mandible.  
            “I guess… we could cancel our reservation…” muttered Sterling as she looked at Gaien, who looked put out but nodded. He didn’t want to disappoint his mother-in-law right off the bat.  
            “Oh! Well then we’ll get to spend lots of time together!” smiled Amelia instantly going back to her sunny attitude. “Mejo! Go drop off your bags, and I’ll call Rob and Tommy to come and help you with the bags.”  
            Gaien held up his hand, “No! Wait, I can get them myself!” he said but Amelia wasn’t listening as she just talked over him about how she was so happy to have him there.  
            “Don’t fight it; she’s set her mind to it…” sighed Sterling as she looked up at him. “Come on.”

            Sterling led the way to her old room, before she stood in it with Gaien and held herself. Amelia having taken forever to get them to leave her alone; but finally someone called her from down the hall and she left.  
            Gaien walked over and closed the door before he turned and looked at Sterling. The gaze she gave him needy; he returned it before he took two large steps to her and held her tightly. She pulled her legs up and wrapped them around his waist as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. “I love you.”  
            “I love you too.” whimpered Sterling as she moved her left hand to the back of his head and held his shoulder with the other. “Oh Gaien… I’m so sorry.”  
            “No. No we’ll get through this. We survived the reaper war, we can survive this.” He keened gently into her flesh as he sat down on her bed and pulled his head up to look at her. “I just hope your mother gets used to the fact that I am still going to make love to my wife, no matter where we end up sleeping.”  
            Her laugh made him grin as she nosed at his throat and he ran his talons through her short hair. “Good, I like being with you.” she breathed him in deeply and relaxed. “I don’t care either, we’re a married couple, and we have sex.”  
            “That’s right.” He nodded firmly before chuckling and then pressing his nose bridge against hers. “Oh baby, I love you, my mate…” he hummed to her happily.  
            She gave a breathy giggle before nuzzling back against him, “And you’re mine, I love you too Sweetheart.”

            “Mejo! Sterling! Come out! What are you two doing in there?!” called Amelia as she looked into the hall.  
            Sterling groaned as she shook her head, “No, no ready…” she whined as she then dipped her head and pressed her lips to Gaien’s throat.  
            “Honey, that’s not the best id-” he gasped as she laved her tongue up his jugular and then bit him gently. “Fuck…” he breathed as his hands moved down to her hips and he fell back, only barely catching himself before he punctured the bed with his fringe.  
            Sterling grabbed her pillows and folded them under his head and shoulders before her mouth hungrily met his. He brought his brow plates together as his tongue sought hers, the familiar aroused growling already starting up in his chest as her hands ran up his chest and moved to hold his head.  
            “It’s not nice to get me going only to leave me hanging.” He managed to pant out as his eyes met hers. He bit his tongue then though and looked at her face, she needed him. She needed this, for him to want her just as much. He swallowed thickly and fought against his groin plates wanting to release him.  
            “You’re not alone.” she panted as her lips pressed to his mouth again and he rumbled for her, pulling away after a long moment to breathe.  
            “Tonight, spirits Sterling… I promise tonight.” he groaned as he remember just how long it would be before he could having his wife limp in his arms as a pile of lust and love. She nodded furiously before firmly pressing her head to his and nipping at his nose. He hadn’t meant to let the small keen in his throat come out as she slid off him.  
            “Okay… Let’s go meet my family.” she sighed as she held her face and tried to calm herself down. She didn’t want to tell Gaien why she had jumped him in her room. She didn’t want to tell him that she had been raped on that very bed numerous times. She didn’t want him going into overprotective mode and possibly offending her family. He was always going to put her first and she knew that, just as she would him. If he hadn’t felt guilty about having a hotel room, she wouldn’t have even thought about cancelling their reservation. Which she still hadn’t, maybe she’d get a chance to convince her mother that they really did need that larger bed.  
            “Right behind you Honey.” he sighed as he stood and then lowered his head to touch hers again.


	18. The Best Friend

            Gaien found that he liked the Reyes family just about as much as his wife did… they were all unique, lively people. However unlike his wife he wasn’t related to them, and found that he needed some air after a few hours of being bombarded with questions pertaining to his species, most of which were too invasive for his liking. Sterling did her best to buffer against them, and he was grateful for her interference, however it was wearing on her as well; he could tell that just as well as she could tell that they weren’t going to be able to handle staying a night there.   
            Sitting on the front porch he reached into his pocket and pulled out a flavor strip, cancrick flavored. He then chuckled to himself the first time Sterling had tried one, her face puckering at how sour it had been; with a warm smile slowly creeping on his face he stared off into space, admiring the beautiful garden and thinking of his wife.   
            She really was his everything; she had been since the first time on that moon they’d been stuck in cover together and their eyes having met. His wife was the most beautiful and brilliant star in the universe in his eyes, he had no doubts she really was meant to be his. The way her face lit up when they looked at each other, how happy he felt just being able to hold her hand. Laughing at himself under his breath he realized just how in love he was, it felt great.

            “So you’re the one huh?” asked a young woman as she suddenly stood in front of him. The glasses clad female stood with her hands on her hips and with pursed lips. Her eyes looking him over and really examining him as if she was sizing him up; it made him just a little uncomfortable.  
            Gaien raised an eyebrow plate at her and sat straight, “I beg your pardon?” he asked, his tone flat and unamused. Who was this woman to be asking him such a question? This brown haired, squib of a woman had to be kidding herself if she thought she had any right to judge him on anything.   
            “So you’re the one who snatched my best friend away from me?” she glared at him before she crossed her arms and looked him up and down, “You seriously aren’t all that great… a barefaced even… her taste could be worse though.”   
            “Listen here bitch I -” he was cut off by Sterling coming out to see him with a chilled bottle of a dex-o-cola.   
            “Eva?” asked Sterling before she got a huge smile on her face and squealed, jumping off the stairs and hugging the much shorter woman. “Oh my god! It’s great to see you! When’d you find out we were here?!”   
            Eva hugged Gaien’s wife back and smiled at her, “Oh, you know my wife, she knows everything… kind of her job.” shrugged the woman as she looked at the drink, “Really Sterling? You’re so domestic now you’re bringing your man a cold drink?”   
            “What? Don’t you bring Nemina drinks?” she asked as she then turned and looked at Gaien who had stood up now. “Gaien, Sweetheart, this is my best friend Eva. We went to basic together.” she grinned.   
            “You’re a soldier?” asked the turian as he looked her up and down and scowled. He went to Sterling and pulled her tightly to his side, expressing that she was his none too subtly.   
            “I was, for about four years, and then I retired.” snipped Eva as she looked at his arm holding Sterling tightly to his side and then looked at her. Sterling grinned and hugged her husband around the middle; she met her friends eyes and then gave a warm smile.   
            Eva sighed, “As long as he’s not like… _HIM_.”   
            “Nothing like him, amazing and perfect in every way. He takes good care of me Eva don’t worry.” soothed Sterling as she looked up into the lilac eyes of her turian mate and smiled warmly at him. “I love you.”  
            “I love you too, all my heart honey.” He purred as his head came down and he nuzzled against her. He really did, he’d do anything for Sterling, anything to make her happy.  
            “Okay well, openly admitting he loves you is a start.” Eva huffed as she crossed her arms again and then looked him up and down, “Explain to me why him?”  
            “He’s perfect.”   
            “No, really.”  
            “What? Me being perfection isn’t a good enough answer?” asked Gaien with a scowl as he used his thumb and flicked off the bottle cap from the glass bottle and tilted his head back to have a drink.   
            Sterling hummed happily, “Because he cares for me, he’s sweet and kind, smart, brave, loving. Oh, and he’s so attentive and gentle. Eva really he is a good guy, trust me.”  
            “Oh fine.” She huffed before walking up to Gaien and looking up at him sternly, she then gave him a hug and he chirped, completely confused.   
            “She’s just over protective… she’s the only one besides you who knows about what happened to me.” Explained Sterling softly, “Well, Nemina does too.”  
            “Someone say my name?” asked a sweet voice as an Asari walked up the steps from the sidewalk. She was definitely something to look at, flawless periwinkle skin, with large bright cerulean eyes framed by long lashes. Her tentacle like fringe swept back and a little longer than most Asari kept. She was average height, but with a stunning smile and a bombshell figure. Truly a woman dangerous with just her looks alone.   
            “My Love!” smiled Eva as she ran over to her wife. Nemina grinned and rushed over, hugging her wife to her chest as she pressed her shiny lips to Eva’s and then sighed Contently.   
            “You must be Gaien, Pleasure to meet you. Nemina De’light.” She smiled as she walked up and shook Gaien’s hand. Gaien stood a little speechless before his eyes wandered down to her small waist and he felt a sharp pain in his side.   
            Squawking he looked at his wife, she scowling. “I was just looking! I swear, you’re the only one I will ever want Sterling.” he garbled out.   
            Nemina put a hand over her mouth and laughed lightly, “Oh, don’t mind me Sterling. He really was just looking, Trust me, he’s completely head over heels for you.”   
            Gaien whipped his head around and looked at her, “That’s true, but how do you know?”   
            “Oh I already know everything about you. I especially know about your relationship. After all Sterling is my Wife’s best friend and a friend of mine. Considering past… incidents, we keep close tabs on all who get close to her.” explained the Asari as she smiled at them both sweetly.   
            “That’s so invasive…” sighed Sterling as she leaned into Gaien and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. He rumbled happily and moved his hand to her head, running his fingers through her hair as he nuzzled against her forehead.   
            Eva huffed again, “It’s necessary, look what happened the moment we weren’t able to keep tabs anymore.” she scowled, her look telling Sterling she knew about what had happened just before Gaien came out of his coma.   
            Mrs. Reyes looked down at her feet sadly, closing her eyes and leaning closer into her mate as Gaien made a small noise for her and held her tightly to him. “I appreciate the help… but Sterling deserves a little freedom. She has me now, maybe it’s not so unthinkable to lighten up a bit?” he asked gently.   
            Nemina looked at Eva and smiled softly, “Alright, we can do that; since you’ve proven yourself a suitable man for her.”   
            Sterling huffed and scolded them both, to which they gave mock performances of distress before both the women just smiled and gave them a proper greeting. All of them returned inside to continue with the festivities of Sterling returning home and bringing her husband.


	19. The Ex

            Time seemed to fly by, with Nemina and Eva now there Gaien could finally find an excuse to pull his wife away and into the back yard. His hands laced their fingers together as his head came down and pressed to hers, “You were right… they’re a lot to handle.” he chuckled softly as he enjoyed the closeness with his other half.   
            “I told you.” she smiled as she tilted her head and pressed her lips to his mouth plates. “And how do you like all the questions? ‘So, turian, why is it that you and your race decided humans deserved to be attacked?’ and ‘Turian, are you considered so ugly that you couldn’t find a woman of your own species?’. You’re such a hit with my family.” she laughed.   
            “Mmm…” he huffed as he kissed her and then pulled her close to him, “Yes, I loved how they didn’t even bother to learn my name. So far all that seems to care is your mother and friends.”   
            “Momma is doing her best, but it’s hard for her to break her ways.” shrugged Sterling as she hugged her husband tighter, “Just another hour, and then you and I are bolting out of here and we can make love all night long in that comfortable turian style bed.”   
            “Umph… you just know exactly what to say to brighten my mood.” he grinned as he growled in her ear and then nipped at her neck. “I love you so much Sterling, you mean everything to me.” he sighed.  
            Her forehead met his and she sniffled, “You’re my everything too Gaien. Sweetheart I love you more than words could ever express.” His thumb came up and wiped a tear from her face as he began to purr; willing it to heal whatever wound was being opened by being there. She nodded and let him hold her tighter.

            “Well Well… It is true then.” said a voice as smooth as the finest of liquors and just as dark. A human man came around the corner of the house and stood leaning against the fence, just watching the couple. “You actually decided to hook up with an Alien, a Turian no doubt. Oh Sterling, did you really think I wouldn’t find out?”   
            Sterling froze at the sound and her grip on Gaien hardened tenfold. He looked up and at the male, from her reaction, and the way he could already smell arousal from the male… he took a well estimated guess. “You must be Roy.” he growled, his eyes narrowing as his hold on his wife and mate tightened.   
            “Indeed, Roy Sarentino, Pleasure to meet you.” he smiled as he pushed off the fence and came near. However Gaien bristled and glared at the male, effectively stopping him in his tracks.   
            “Too bad that feeling is one sided.” The much larger alien hissed. “Gaien Reyes, Sterling’s _husband_.”   
            Roy Sarentino, a tall human male about a foot shorter than Gaien. His hair was dark and slicked back, his features pointed, eyes a dark shade of brown and devoid of any sort of light. He was handsome, incredibly so; and his money was shown off in the way he wore a suit, however his tie was undone and the top two buttons of his shirt right there with it under his jacket.   
            He gave a smiled to Gaien and took a step closer, “Oh? You actually married a used up, broken, _owned_ woman? My my, what does that say about you?” he asked, “Must be a very desperate man to want another man’s plaything.”   
            “She’s nothing of yours.” snapped Gaien as he took a step forward and put himself between Roy and Sterling. “She’s mine, willingly so, and you’re messing with the wrong pissed off turian mate.”  
            “Oh yes, you’re oh so dangerous; with a synthetic arm and no colony markings?” Roy then laughed at him and took a half step further. “Please, just your looks alone prove that you’re inferior to me.”  
            It was Gaien’s turn to laugh, “Spirits, you think that me having a synthetic arm is a hindrance? Listen _human_ I’m one of only ten “barefaced mongrels” to make it into the 26th armiger in turian history. Do you know what that means?”   
            “Enlighten me.”   
            “It means I’m one badass, talented, and dangerous guy. It means that I can kill you any way at any distance, and I have no problem doing so. It means that I _will_ kill you if you come near my mate.” smirked Gaien as he came close and bent his head, his face only a couple inches from Roy’s. “The fact I have a synthetic arm proves that I went to war, that I fought for the entire galaxy, that I’m a soldier. What did you do? You probably went and hid in some sort of bunker and prayed that all those men and women of every species won this war so your hide could be spared.”   
            Roy swallowed thickly, his eyes searching Gaien’s for any sort of weakness. That was the truth, he hadn’t gone to war to fight… he hadn’t even donated any money to the cause. He’d simply beaten Sterling before her deployment and threatened to make her hurt if she went to war… she’d ignored his threat and went anyways. Gaien’s face was void of any weakness, and the only one Roy could see was Sterling. Obviously that wasn’t the way to go because Gaien seemed as serious as a heart attack that if he even looked at her he’d make him suffer; he hadn’t estimated that the Turian would be serious about Sterling.  
            “I fought right beside Sterling on a back water moon. I tore apart reapers, Cerberus, collectors, and anything else that got thrown at us. I watched her decimate a battlefield and turn harvesters into pulp.” he added, buffing up his wife and letting Roy know exactly who he was dealing with as a couple. “She may have some fear towards you, because you’ve been a weak spineless man taking advantage of her for who knows how long. Not for a second longer however, because she’s not alone. She married me, and I swear to every entity that if you so much as lay an atom of DNA on her I will shred everything and everyone you love in front of you and then slowly destroy you.”   
            Sterling was holding herself, looking at Gaien as he spoke, her heart racing. He’d of course stood up for her… but to see him so protective of her had her head spinning and an ache in her heart. When he straightened and took a sideways glance at her over his shoulder she met his gaze and it caught her breath. She was his mate, body and soul, happily and willingly his.   
            Gaien gave a weak smile to his wife before he turned his predatory stare to Roy again, “I mean it _Human_.”   
            Roy gulped before he smirked slightly, “We’ll see how good you are then when I take back what’s mine in front of you. I’ll make you watch as I ravage dear little Sterling and make her carry my children, the whole time you’ll be chained like the animal you are and be forced to watch as I impregnate your _mate._ ” Roy then pulled a gun from his back and pointed it at Gaien’s neck, “You’ll be forced to watch her give birth, be forced to watch her be my whore.”   
            Roy’s trigger finger barely twitched as an orb of biotics hit him and sent him flying across the yard. Sterling was panting behind Gaien, her eyes wide and dilated as her skin pales and she looked sick. Throwing herself into the flower bed to her left she heaved up and lost her stomach to the earth.   
            “Honey!” cried Gaien as he went to his knees next to her and rubbed her back. “Ster, baby…” he keened for her as he watched her crumble in front of him.   
            “H-h-h-he was g-g-gonna shoot you.” She whimpered, her voice wavering as she looked up at her husband. Her face twisted as she began to sob, he was going to take away my only reason…” she stopped and held her face as Gaien looked at her. His long arms pulled her to his chest and he keened slightly into her hair. “I’m sorry.” she wailed into his chest.   
            Nemina was the first one out of the house, “What is going on here?” she asked, her feminine voice filled with worry before she saw the figure of Roy; her beautiful face turning into something from a nightmare as she started to glow with her biotics.   
            “Meja?” asked Amelia as she came out and saw Gaien holding her daughter tightly. Turning her head she looked, “Roy? What are you doing here? I thought you said you couldn’t make it.” she asked.   
            “My apologies Amelia, I managed to finish my work and then rushed over. I wanted to see and congratulate Sterling.” he grunted as he got up. “I seemed to not be well liked by the turian and Sterling however.”  
            “Gaien hurt you?” asked Amelia as she looked between her son-in-law and Roy.   
            “He punched me, after all I said was that I had once dated Sterling and was happy she’d found love.” lied the poor excuse for a man.   
            Gaien gaped at what was being said before he looked at Amelia who glared at him and took a step back. The rest of her family suddenly seemed to hate him as well, and Gaien felt his heart sink. One word from an evil guy like Roy and he suddenly was trash in their eyes. What the hell was wrong with them all?   
            “Let’s go.” whimpered Sterling as she looked up at her husband, “Please, let’s just go.” She begged.   
            “You can’t go with him Meja! He just assaulted Roy!” cried Cassandra as she stepped forward and tried to pull Sterling from Gaien. The younger woman shrieked and held her mate tighter, Gaien returning it and growling at Cassandra. This caused her to back away and look terrified.   
            “You two go, I’ll handle all of this.” said Nemina as she stepped between them and the Reyes Family. Eva pushed her way through the crowd and saw Roy, her biotics flashed, “No My love. Escort them to their car please.” Eva merely deflated and grunted as she came over and offered a hand to Gaien.   
            He gave her a weak smile before he moved an arm under Sterling’s legs and rose, cradling her to his chest. Sterling gripped her husband’s neck tighter as he carried her to the car and flashed his omni-tool. He opened the passenger side door and coaxed his distraught mate into the seat before he quickly crossed and slid into the driver’s seat. “It’s okay Sterling, we’re going.” He whispered as he started the car and took off.   
            Amelia held herself and watched as her only child and her husband drove away. Things had been okay, everything had been going better than she could have hoped… until Roy showed up. Amelia didn’t show it, but she had the suspicion that Roy wasn’t exactly being truthful with all of them.


	20. Desperate Need

            Gaien was silent as he drove, he didn’t know what to do to comfort his mate. She was just curled up in the passenger’s seat and crying silently while looking out the window. He wanted to comfort her, tell her something, anything; DO something, anything for her. He couldn’t think of anything except offering her his hand, with a scared breath he offered his hand to her. She looked at it, and then took it; lacing their fingers together and shifting to sit on the compartment of the console. Gaien turned off the road and into a motel parking lot.   
            She came to him, more desperate than he thought she would have. He took her and held her against him tightly, his nose burying in her hair. She was his mate, and he loved her. There was no denying that ever, and anyone who tried to would only look like an idiot.   
            Gently he nipped at her jaw and chuffed at her; she hugged him around his neck tighter and shook, trying to bring herself down from her fear. His arms encased her, all the love and affection he could muster moving from him to her.   
            “I love you, no matter what Sterling, I love you.” He whispered to her.   
            “I love you too, Thank you.” She whimpered as she tucked her head under his chin. They held each other for a long time before Sterling sighed contently, his warm body and comforting rumbles soothing her. “I want you to mark me.”   
            Gaien looked at her, a little shocked, “What?”  
            “I want you to mark me, I don’t want to wait anymore.” She told him, her voice shaking, “Ignore the fact that I may not be stretched out enough, just take me and make me yours Gaien.”   
            He stared at her for a few long moments, his eyes searching hers before he swallowed thickly, “I don’t want to hurt you…”   
            “I don’t care.”  
            “I DO!”   
            “Why?!”  
            “Because… the moment I do hurt you during sex and not care, is the moment I’m not better than he was. Even if you ask for it.” he keened, his hands holding her face, “Sterling I never want to hurt you, I love you.”  
            “I want to be yours, I want to be able to stand next to you and everyone around know that I belong to you. I want to own you as much as you’ll own me, I don’t want him ever thinking he could take me from you!” she whimpered as her face hid in his neck.   
            Gaien held her tighter and chewed on it all. The idea of finally sheathing himself in his wife was very pleasing to him. Filling her completely, knotting in her, sinking his teeth into her wonderfully soft flesh and marking her physically as his for the rest of their lives. He’d be stupid to not want his wife, the one woman he’d ever love.   
            “Sterling…” he started but she grabbed his face and kissed him. His brow plates came together and he growled, “That’s playing dirty.”   
            “Fuck me.” she ordered as she grabbed the tender spot at the back of his head and yanked his head back, biting his throat. It was harder than just a tease and barely over the line of painful. He gasped and felt his plates start to shift.   
            He kept trying, “Baby, if I do this you could rip again, we don’t know how far y-” he was cut off as she bit him harder and then laved at his jugular. He had to grip the steering wheel to steady himself and keep from grabbing her right there.   
            “Honey, please…” he begged as she growled in her throat at him, he looked at her eyes and felt his heart skip a beat. She was absolutely feral, he’d never seen her to hot and heated for him. Their sex had always been softer, less like what he naturally wanted. She yanked his head back again and ground her crotch against his shifting pelvic plates. “At least wait until we’re at the hotel?” he asked, his voice a keen as he used all his control to keep himself from ravaging her right there in the driver’s seat.   
            “Drive. Fast.” she ordered. Gaien didn’t need to be told twice as he started the car. She fell back into the passenger’s seat partially and leaned over.   
            Her lips against his aural canal and her hand rubbing against his pelvis, saying filthy things to him, “I want you to fuck me so hard I won’t be able to walk. Your long, thick, absolutely perfect cock buried in me so deeply that every time you cum it will go straight into my womb. I want you to knot, keep me filled with you all night, all day tomorrow.” she pecked at the side of his head and he swerved the car, jumping. He panted as she smiled against his flesh, “I want to be completely ruined by you, would you like that my beloved? To have your wife as your personal cock sheath? My pussy stretched and full of your cum? Let you fuck me for days, every hole and every way.”   
            “Fuck…” he breathed as he sharply turned down the road to their lodgings for the next week. “Yes.”   
            “I want that too, I want you to fill me with so much of your seed nature will ignore all the laws and I’ll be pregnant with your child.” Of course that wasn’t possible, but it was just an explanation of how much of him she wanted in her.   
            Gaien keened and tried to keep his quickly clouding vision on the road, “When did you get so good at dirty talking?”   
            “When I stopped being scared of you spearing me with your cock~” she purred to him as she kissed at his neck and smiled, “When the thought of you, shoving your magnificent dick repeatedly against my cervix made me so wet for you.”   
            He nearly crashed into the building where they were staying. He’d slammed on the breaks just in time. Now stopped, he rounded on his mate and grabbed her by her hair, kissing her violently. “You’d better be ready.”  he snarled at her as he yanked her head back and exposed her neck to him. Slowly he ran his tongue up her throat and gently, teasingly nipped at her with his sharp teeth. “Because as soon as the door closes and we’re both in that room, I’m giving you everything you asked for, and then some.”  
            “Looking forward to it.” she purred for him. He sighed and kissed her again, this time much more gently. She wrapped her arms around his head and returned it before he reluctantly pulled away so that they could go into their hotel.


	21. The First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> porn...  
> I tried... -\/o_O\/- *shrugs*

            He’d promised her rough, claiming sex. He fully intended to deliver it. However that wasn’t the way he wanted his wife to see this coupling entirely. This was a special, kind of a big deal time. He was going to mark her, she him, he had butterflies in his stomach, and even though his erection was already straining and raging in his pants he couldn’t bring himself to just throw her down and take her.   
            Sterling seemed to understand, the way that she gently gripped at his waist as he ran his hands down her arms softly. Their foreheads together as he just breathed in the scent of his mate. His wife rested her nose bridge against his as he rumbled deeply for her.   
            “You sure you want this?  
            Sterling nodded, “Yes.”   
            Gaien nodded and caressed her cheek; she used her hand to press the palm of his hand against her firmly. Spirits did he love his wife; this woman had saved him from oblivion. She’d given him a purpose, a reason to give his all in the war and come out of it alive. He wouldn’t have either if it weren’t for her feeling just as strongly for him. Whatever higher power there was, they’d blessed him. He couldn’t think of another way that someone like her could have fallen in love with him.   
            “You okay with starting slow?” he asked softly, his chest giving her a rumble as she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his cowl.   
            Sterling stood on her toes and nosed into his neck, “I’ll do whatever you need of me. I trust you Gaien.” she paused and moved his head so she could kiss him; he reciprocated happily, “Completely.”   
            That was all he needed, with a chuff he nodded again and then slowly unzipped her hoodie. Something about exposing her slowly to him made his heart race. The idea that he was going to be able to savor, enjoy, and then finally mark her was almost too much for him. She ran her hands up his arms as he worked, her small deft fingers tracing the admirable muscle of his real arm, and then sliding over the cool synthetic skin of his prosthetic.   
            He let out a breathy sigh as she touched his skin, his hands now sliding under her t-shirt and feeling her waist and hips. She was so soft, nothing like the hard muscled body he’d once imagined. He loved it, he loved that she was soft and feminine looking under her clothes.   
            Her waist wasn’t tiny, but her hips and thighs did it for him in ways he hadn’t anticipated. Her stomach was flat, soft, but flat. He was comfortable there, when they lay together, he would snooze and hold himself to her with his head resting above her navel. Her hand stroking his fringe as she read, that was the best feeling.   
            Carefully he pulled up and off her shirt and hoodie. She smiled at him as her face was once again exposed and he melted for her. She stepped closer and pressed her bra encased breasts against his abdomen while her hands worked his tank and hoodie up. His patience to feel her skin against his hide ran out as he pulled off his top clothes and threw them somewhere into their room.   
            She laughed as he leaned down and kissed her a little harder, one hand holding her hip and the other deftly unhooking her bra. “You’ve mastered that.”  
            “Of course, have to get you undressed as efficiently as possible.” he smirked. His tongue sought entry and she gave it to him. It was her turn to melt for him completely.

            Clothes were removed and tossed about; Gaien turned out the lights while Sterling sat on the bed and calmed herself. She viewed this as her first “real” time. When they’d tried back in England it had ended horribly, with intense pain and Gaien feeling terrible, he hadn’t even entered her all that much. The next few times he’d gotten in a little more, and more as he’d stretched her out and kept his patience.   
            This time, it was really going to happen, whether she could fit all of him inside her or not. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t worried, but she did want this. She wanted to belong to him in every way, so that there wasn’t any doubt from anyone whether or not they were bound to each other completely.   
            Gaien turned around after the light was on and crawled into the bed, his large body nearly dwarfing hers as he leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers. She gripped his mandibles gently and nuzzled against him. “I love you.” He sighed to her while his real hand came up and caressed her face. She nuzzled into his palm, her eyes shining and full of affection.   
            “I love you too.” she breathed while searching his face. It struck her for a moment how comical this all had to be. He was evolved from an apex predator, he could easily destroy her. Yet it had been her own species, a human man who had done all this damage to her. Gaien had done nothing but heal her and be her safety.  Even back on that moon, he’d been the arms she’d fall into when her legs could no longer carry her because she had given everything she could into the battle.   
            He sat on his knees and looked at her, both his hands on her knees as he looked at her, asking permission. She smiled softly and leaned back into the plush pillows. He took this as permission and spread her legs, his flesh and blood hand moving to her sex and testing her.   
            He spread her folds and it was as if he just got slammed in the face by a Krogan, the scent of her wanting him. He had to chomp on his tongue from just taking her there. He of course intended to give her what she’d asked for, but he was not about to possible injure his wife further than necessary because of his own instincts.   
            She was soaked, already leaving a small wet spot on the comforter. Her flesh swollen from the anticipation, he sighed and took a deep breath as his head came down and rested against her own. “You okay?”   
            “Yeah, just… you really do want it huh?” he asked as he turned his head and kissed her, eyes still closed as he let the scent surround him and the feel of her close to him   
            She nodded and gripped his head, her fingers pressing into that sweet spot under his fringe. “Yeah. The idea isn’t scary anymore. Not when I know it’s you.”   
            Gaien opened his eyes and looked at her, “Well, the way I want things to go, I’ll be the only one to ever be with you like this for the rest of our life.”   
            “Good, because no one could ever make me feel like you do.” she grinned, he purred for her, overtaken with emotion before he took a deep breath and straightened.   
            “Want to fool around first? Or do you just want your husband to ravage you?” he asked with a chuckle.   
            Sterling leaned back and laughed, her arms going over her head. He could only continue purring as her big, beautiful brown eyes glowed at him with all her love. “What do you want? Want to just savagely take your willing wife? Or should we turn this into what our honeymoon sex should have been?”   
            “I think you know me well enough to know what I want.” He smirked as he leaned over her and kissed her. He may be a turian, but she wasn’t just a one night lay to blow out his system. She was the woman he was forever bound to, and who he would eventually raise a family with. “Sit up.” He muttered.   
            “Hmm?” she asked, but did so anyways. He laid down then and used his hands to pull her over him, her legs straddling his chest as he gripped at her ass and yanked her forward. His tongue laved up her core and she sighed, throwing her head back and gripping his thighs. “Oh~ you’re so good to me.”  
            Gaien made a noise in response and pressed his upper mouth plate against her clit, causing her to jump, his tongue barely swirling around her entrance. He hands ran up and down her thighs, occasionally gripping at her waist as he sought to please her. Yeah, she was dripping and honestly were she not scarred inside her passage he probably could have just speared her. For good measure however, he was determined to at least get her off once.

            He’d done so more than once, unable to keep himself from drinking down her fluids, by the time he felt a fiery need to be inside her she was bent forward over him and nearly sobbing as he licked at her insides. His own cock was rock hard, hot, and he knew he was probably more than a little slicked up for her, hell he doubted there would be all that much resistance considering he could feel a pool of his own lubricant on his stomach.   
            “Ready?” he growled as he pulled his tongue from her. She whined slightly but nodded, her brows already furrowed. With a grunt she managed to move her legs and slid down to his crotch, her sex landing and pushing his erection tight between them. He made a sharp noise and gripped her hips harder. “You sure?”  
            “Yes.” She breathed as she rose up and angled his taped her at her entrance. He watched, and rumbled as he saw himself twitch in anticipation; his first time inside his wife, fully.   
            She sighed as the smallest part of him entered her before she looked at him and smiled softly. Quickly she dropped and then gasped, the air knocked from her as he was shoved into her to the hilt.   
            He nearly howled with the sudden tightness strangling him, panting he looked at her. His eyes dilated and gazing at her as she gulped for air. “Honey?”   
            “Fuck.” she panted as she gripped his waist tightly, he keened slightly and held her hips even tighter, “Oh my god!” she wailed. He could only gasp as she got even tighter, he was growing while she was clamping down and it was almost too much. As her hips squirmed he closed his eyes and pulled his mandibles tightly to his face, doing everything he could to not explode inside her.   
            "Pull off.” he growled out. She shook her head furiously and gripped his waist harder, putting so much pressure on his sensitive hide. “Honey, seriously! I don’t know if I ca-” he was cut off as she ground against him.   
            With a sharp intake of breath and his eyes wide he couldn’t stop the buck he threw up into her, his hands holding her down. His first orgasm hitting hard as he was jammed tightly against the entrance of her womb. “Fuck…” he breathed.   
            Sterling had her eyes tight as two giant tears rolled down her cheeks, the feeling of his huge cock inside her throbbing, erupting both mind-blowingly good and too painful for words. “Can you smell any blood?”   
            “I can’t smell anything but you, Fuck, Sterling…” he growled as he used his own strength to move her up and held her as his cock slipped from her hole. The cum that dripped from her opening falling back onto his angry member. He wanted back inside her desperately, but he had to know if he’d torn her. “I don’t see blood…” he managed to get out, all he wanted to do was growl, snarl, and burying himself back in her.   
            “Good.” she sniffled as she held his wrists and panted her eyes closed. He watched her before his eyes drifted down to her pussy, her hole twitching once and he was gone, his mind fried. One motion and he had speared her again. Her voice lost from the sudden intrusion once more. All she could do was gasp and look off into space with wide eyes.   
            Holding himself  in her he moved so she was laying down, his mind barely putting together that she didn’t need to be doing all the work. Sterling whined and tried to hide her face in her shoulder as he laid on top of her, once against his sheath pushed as close as he could get into her cunt.   
            Eventually she found it start to ease up in pain, his small slow movements a blessing to her poor body. Looking at him, she found his eyes tightly closed and his forehead resting on the sheets. She gave a small noise and he looked up, his eyes going to hers before he moved his forehead against hers and lifted her hips with his synthetic arm to push tightly into her and hold himself.   
            “You okay?” he asked gently, his voice barely more than a whisper. He’s managed to grab some sanity while he’d closed himself off to everything but the feeling of her tightly holding his member inside her.   
            She nodded and held his shoulders, her body as tight against his as physically possible. “Yeah, it’s not so bad anymore.” She mumbled into his mouth plates. His head nodded and he nipped at her lower lip, her lips pecking at him as he sighed into her mouth.   
            “I love you.” he rumbled for her.   
            Sterling smiled weakly and nuzzled against him, “I love you too.” He chuffed for her before pulling out almost all the way and then firmly shoving himself back into her, his cock tight against her cervix. She grunted but only gripped his shoulders tighter.

            He’d continued the slower pace while she was adjusting, only started to let himself go when she began to moan, her cheeks flushing as she began to find pleasure in his movements. When her inner walls fluttered around him he growled and stood on his knees, both hands gripping her hips, His pace picking up. He’d missed this feeling, the feeling of his cock being inside someone. It’d been such a long time, even better he was inside the love of his life. Her soft human body holding his huge turian cock tightly, his ridges popping against the tight opening as he moved in and out, the way her cervix felt as he shoved himself against it.   
            He looked down, watching her pelvis and abdomen move as he came from her and then back into her. He loved her body, even more so now that he could watch just how she took him. Pausing he ground against her so her clit could be stimulated against his sheath, she gasped and barely opened her eyes to look at him.   
            His smirk earned him a weak smile and he rammed into her harshly once, before grinding again. Her throat let out a loud moan and her arms reached for him. He hurriedly gathers her up and cradled her against him as she panted into his ear, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and keeping her flush against him.   
            Her third orgasm nearly strangled him again and he spilled herself once more against her cervix. Panting he moved his hand up to her shoulder and pressed her harder against his body, his mouth plates nipping into the flesh of her shoulder.   
            “It’s so hot.” she sighed, her head turning to pressed her lips into his neck. He gave a sigh and purred for her.   
            “Good hot? Or too hot?” he asked.   
            “It’s wonderful.” She sighed into his aural canal and playfully bit at his neck. It sent a jolt all the way through his body and he fell forward. She grunted as he weight came down on top of her, but he was shivering.   
            “Do it again.” he gasped. She complied and he roughly thrust into her, her voice coming out. However she seemed to like it, before she did it once more and clamped down. Thus he started slamming into her, his hands moving from under her ass to her thighs and pushing them up and against her, so he could try and go deeper. Not that it was all that possible.  
            She squealed at the rough pace but quickly returned her flat human teeth to his neck. He could only snarl as she bit him harder and slam his member into her at a harsh pace, over and over. He froze as yet another orgasm hit him and he filled her; only pausing for a moment before he picked up the pace again. The loud, wet noises sounding from where they were joined only spurring him on.  
            Sterling could only pant and give the occasional noise as she just clung onto him for dear life, her insides never before feeling something so, she hated to admit it, but the wide stretch of him and their slick fluids mixing was really feeling good to her. The harsh pace only having him push deeper into her made her head cloud, the growling noises coming from her sending an electric shock up her spine continuously.   
            “Baby, can I knot?” he asked, his voice strained as he lifted his head and looked at her. She felt a jolt of fear as his wide, wild eyes looked into hers. “I need… Fuck Sterling.”   
            She nearly screamed as he slammed into her with all his power and started grinding against her furiously. “Just make me yours!” she managed to cry out at him.   
            That was all he needed, thrusting in twice more before he once against slammed into her and held himself there; his mouth opening against the spot where her neck and shoulder connected. His knot swelled and he bit into her skin, she smacked her hands down on his beck as the swelling became painful. He could only hold her tightly however as he eventually sealed her with his flesh. Her hands settled for holding his cowl almost painfully tight, her knuckles white.


	22. First Attack

            Gaien was resting with his head back against the padded headboard, his fringe going over the top as he just looked off into space, lost in his thoughts. It had been… amazing. At least he thought so, being able to finally take his wife. She’d kept him going all through the night, through the morning, partially through the middle of the day before she begged him to stop.   
            He’d fucked her on every inch of this hotel room, even twice in the shower as he made love to his wife. They’d done everything from the slow, soft, loving rocking as he proclaimed his love for her over and over again; all the way to the hard, snarling sex that left her silently screaming and holding onto him with a death grip.   
            He’s been positive she would be spent after the ninth time, but she’d kept him going until his own legs were unusable and she was nothing more than gasps and boneless limbs. He’d even knotted in her multiple times, six times in fact; the first time, he’d marked her. The second, he’d bit her again and she had somehow managed to pierce his hide with her own teeth, he’d then howled so loudly the manager came up and asked if they were all right.   
            The elderly male turian only had to see Gaien’s face and the fact he’d answered the door very angry to be disturbed and fully erect before he understood. The manager then hightailed it away faster than Gaien could have imagined possible.   
            Slowly his hand went to his new bondmark and he felt his chest swell, He really was Sterling’s mate now. Looking to his left he looked down at her sleeping form and looked at the bondmark he’d left on her. She was his, completely.   
            He let out a small laugh and took a deep breath. He, Gaien Reyes, once Tannis, was married. He’d found his mate and they were fully bonded now. He felt like he was the luckiest barefaced mongrel to ever exist.   
            “I love you.” He smiled softly as he looked at her, his talons very softly running through her hair. She shifted and mumbled his name; he chuffed at her and then looked at the clock. It was almost nine at night, he looked at her and then back at the clock before silently leaving the bed.   
            He’d get her some food, she’d probably be starving, and he knew he was. His knees buckled awkwardly, but he caught himself on the wall and chuckled nervously. “Well, that’s a new feeling.” he muttered to himself as he straightened and stretched. His whole body was sore, and he was still very tired. Providing for his mate and wife came first however, and he wasn’t about to start slacking just because he’d pretty much emptied his testicles in her.

            Once dressed Gaien stopped by the front desk, the elderly turian there again; he looked up from his terminal and eyes Gaien. “How may I help you?”   
            “Hi, um… first I want to apologize for what you saw last night. It… it was kind of our first time as a married couple.” He explained, blue in the neck and nervously clicking. The elderly turian rose a browplate.   
            “As long as it was consensual, I won’t be having my establishment turned into a human rape den.” He huffed.   
            “Of course it was…” scoffed Gaien as he pulled his hoodie to the side and showed the other turian.   
            “Congratulations then, I assume you couldn’t do better thanks to your… status.” He mused. Gaien gave him a deadpanned look and clicked at him in annoyance.   
            “I love my wife and she loves me, and that’s all that matters.” He hissed before huffing again and holding up a credit chit. “A thousand credits, all yours if you make sure no one but me goes to our room.”   
            The older turian looked at it and held out his hand, “And if the human asks?”   
            Gaien handed it to him, “She’ll call me, but if she does, tell her what I said.” The owner nodded and pocketed it. Gaien then left, continuing his quest to feed his mate.

            Sterling woke up on her back in bed, her eyes opening to look at the dark ceiling. “Mmmm, Gaien?” she moaned as she sat up and winced. Looking down at her sex she grimaced, it wasn’t pretty. Purple, abused, swollen… she was hoping he was willing to let her recover for a few… weeks.   
            “Sweetheart?” she called, when she noticed he wasn’t there she felt a prang of fear before the pain in her neck started up. Putting her hand there she sighed and relaxed. He’d bonded to her and now marked her, she could trust Gaien to not leave her high and dry somewhere. He’d probably just gone to get something to eat.   
            Slowly, painfully, she got up from the bed and limped into the bathroom. Inspection showed she hadn’t torn, and the warm bath she drew for herself was doing wonders for her. Looking out the large window by the tub she smiled softly and watched the sky turn into a menagerie of colors, and slowly begin to fade and darken.   
            The door clicked and Sterling looked up, “Gaien? Honey?” she called. When no one answered she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up, she could swear she heard the door.

            Gaien was looking at the clock, “Ughhhhhh why did I get sidetracked?” he asked himself as he nearly sped back to the hotel. “Yes Gaien, great idea to get sidetracked into buying your wife a ring. Of course it was a wise idea to spend six hours away from her when right now she probably just wants to be held and cuddle about.” He scolded himself as he turned off the highway.   
            He’d been getting her some pastries when he’d walked by an antique store. He’d just clanked at the window, but he’d seen it none the less. A small silver flower with a sparkling moonstone in the center, it just screamed his wife’s name so much he couldn’t refuse and then had gone in. Of course they’d tried to sell him more expensive rings, and he’d almost fallen for it.   
            However he knew his wife, he knew how much she would have rather something that he found reminded him so much of her rather than cost a small fortune. Not that he didn’t have the funds for it; he’d been saving his pay since he was fifteen, things kind of added up when you didn’t tend to spend money. He reckoned he could have honestly bought her a diamond the size of her fist and still have enough to raise a family without him working.   
            That reminded him, he should probably get their bank accounts joined sometime soon, or at least run it by Sterling. He didn’t want his wife to think he was holding out on her. He’d just been so caught up in them… being them. With a smile he half daydreamed about his mate, her bright smile, warm brown eyes, the way she sounded when she laughed and said his name. He was so head over heels for his woman he didn’t honestly understand it. That was what it was to be bound to someone though, they were eternally the center of one’s heart.

            “So the Barefaced Mongrel actually did it?” asked a cool as a cucumber voice as the bathroom door opened and revealed Roy. He leaned against the doorframe and looked down at Sterling as she scrambled and pulled down the towel to wrap around herself. “He actually marked you? You let him?”  
            Sterling had almost froze when she heard his voice, however the fact that she wasn’t exactly clothed had clicked in her brain and she managed to keep any of “Gaien’s” bit’s from his eyes. “Of course I did, I’m his wife.”  
            “Yeah, I suppose you are legally his wife. However I’m the one who owns you Sterling.” he mused as he looked her over and bit his thumbnail. “You’re my disgusting little whore to break and mend as I wish.”   
            Sterling swallowed and held his gaze, “I’m not yours, I’m not an object.” Her voice was shaking, but her eyes told him that she was doing her best to stand up to him.   
            He smiled, “Oh? You’re not? Because I remember the fact that you were happy to just be ‘loved’ isn’t that what it was Sterling?” He took a few steps closer and sat on the toilet close to her, “When I had you tied down, when I took you at my pleasure, when you would scream in pleasure.” He cocked his head, “Is that why you married him? Because you like to be torn up?”   
            She set her jaw, “I never screamed in pleasure, and I didn’t enjoy a moment of that with you. Ever.” She hissed, “You played my own weaknesses to your advantage and then hurt me!”   
            “Well, Tomato ‘tomahto’” he shrugged as his hand shot out and grabbed her face. Sterling grunted and threw her fist against his head, she tried to get out of the tub but slid on the slick bottom and he was able to grab her by the hair. “Little bitch, I knew the military was a bad idea for you.”  
            “Best thing to ever happen to me.” She grunted as he hauled her from the tub and threw her on the floor.   
            “Whatever, I knew you’d come back here. I knew I’d get another chance to make you mine again.” he growled at her as he swung his leg and kicked her in the gut. Sterling was winded and kept the soaked towel around her. “Stupid woman, letting yourself get tarnished by a turian.”   
            “Gaien fixed everything you broke.” She coughed out as she threw him with her biotics against the wall and stumbled onto her feet. She took a half moment to look at him before she set her jaw and hobbled into the main part of their room. Dropping the towel and grabbing Gaien’s t-shirt, she hurriedly pulled it on and bolted for the door.   
            Roy had to have something done to him, he was up and chasing her in seconds. “I don’t care if he solved world hunger! He took what was mine!”   
            “I wasn’t ever yours!” she screamed as she turned a corner. “I only belonged to myself until I gave myself to him!” she screeched as she threw a shockwave, the move taking more out of her than she thought it would. Falling to her knees she panted and touched her face, blood now dripping from her nose.   
            The human male dove behind a wall and avoided the wave before he got up and pulled a gun from his jacket. Walking towards her he aimed it, “You know you are mine, I’m going to use you and all those unique genes you carry to bring in a whole new generation of humans.”   
            “You’re not doing that to me again…” she coughed, her throat wheezing as she looked over her shoulder and saw the elevator. She attempted to stand, only to hear a loud noise and a sudden pain in her back.   
            Roy walked up to her and pulled her head up by her hair. “You should thank your daddy, he’s the one who made you able to survive such a beating.” He grinned as he kissed her cheek. His hand holding itself open just under her left breast as she began to wince.   
            The bullet popped from her skin and she grunted as he threw her down. Her eyes looked fogged over as she licked her lips and swallowed thickly, “No, he just held the necessary genetic marker to wake up these dormant genes.” She rasped as he kicked her in the side.   
            “Have you told your precious _Husband_ what kind of freak you are?” he asked   
            Sterling smirked, “No, but then again, he wouldn’t care. Gaien’s a good man.”   
            Roy scoffed, “Please, of course he’d care. If he knew what your body was capable of he’d take advantage of it just like any other smart person.”

            “Or, I’d just continue to love my wife because she’s the person she is, whatever mystery she carries.” growled Gaien as the elevator door opened. “You’re pretty loud.”   
            Roy looked at him and then down at Sterling who looked up at her mate, “Gaien.”  
            “Hey baby.” He smiled gently before his omni-tool flashed and Roy was sent back into the wall. The turian walked forward and set his plunder down on the bench, before her arms scooped up his wife and set her gingerly next to them. “You okay?”  
            Sterling looked at him like he was the only thing that had ever mattered in this world, and he could honestly say it was the best feeling he’d ever had. “Now that you’re here.”   
            “Wait for a moment while I see if I can still tango?” he smiled.   
            Sterling pressed her head to his gently for a moment before nodding, “Hurt him.”   
            “As my bride commands.” His smirk was almost pure evil. The turian then set to work at introducing the sorry excuse for a person to just how angry a mated turian could be.

            It ended with Roy being shoved into the back of a cop car, Sterling held tightly to his side as they spoke to the human. “No, These aren’t from Roy…” said Sterling sheepishly as she nuzzled into her husband’s chest.   
            “Ahh, I get it.” laughed the man, “I married a Turian too, Terrina, beautiful beyond any star.” He smiled, “Don’t worry, I won’t put this into the report.”   
            Gaien visibly relaxed before he looked down at the human curiously, “You’re bonded to a turian?”   
            “Mmhm, three years now; got our first little one on the way. Man it was a struggle to find a good sperm donor.” he shrugged, “You guys can be a little rough, but I’ll never say that turians make bad partners. Ruined me for any other woman.”  
            Sterling laughed and hugged her husband tighter, “Same.”  
            The officer grinned before he dug for a card, “Here, this is my number. We’re part of this group for interspecies couples in the area. Why don’t you guys give me a call when you’re ready for it and come to one?”  
            Gaien took the card and lowered it so Sterling could also look at it, “Officer Ramos?”   
            “Yep, that’s my cell there, the second number.”   
            Gaien nodded, “Will do, Thank you sir.”   
            With that the night of horrible events ended, Sterling was brought back up to their room and laid on the bed, feeling exhausted. All while her ever doting mate catered to her soreness and layered on the affection tickly.


	23. Without You?

            Sterling hummed appreciatively as her turian ran his large hand down her side and thigh. Gaien was rumbling deeply, his mouth plates gently nipping at her neck and shoulder as he lounged with her. Her contented sigh making him chuckle as he rested his head on her shoulder and pulled her tightly into him.   
            “You okay?” he asked after a few long moments.   
            Sterling looked up and over her shoulder; “I am now.” she smiled gently to him and rolled to lie on her back. His forehead came to meet hers as soon as her head was settled back, “I promise Gaien.”  
            He made a sad sound and lifted his head to look at her, “I was so scared.”   
            “I know…”  
            “He…” Gaien drifted off and his grip on her becoming tighter as he held her. “Oh baby… he reeked, hurting you was doing it for him. Why? Why is he so… determined?”   
            Her hands held his face as she pulled him up to kiss her, “Because I was the one who fought back, who didn’t break.”   
            “Of course you are, you’re strong.” he sighed against her mouth, “… I should have just slaughtered him.”  
            “I think ripping off his ear is pretty good my love, anymore and you can guarantee assault charges.” she smiled softly, “I’ll be okay, I have you.”   
            “Why didn’t you slam him into the ground?” he asked softly, not accusing, just curious.   
            She laughed weakly and nuzzled against him, “ah, well… ‘cause my well-endowed turian husband finally claimed me. It still hurts you know, and I am exhausted.”  
            Gaien groaned and wore a pained expression, “Sorry.”  
            “Nah, I wanted it; besides, it was fun… and I love you.” she grinned and held him to her tightly, he gave a weak flare of his mandibles, “I want to do it again, when I’m not so sore.”  
            He smiled truly at that, his expression gentle. “I love you too, and we will. After you’re healed up and we’re somewhere I know is safe.”  
            His wife just smiled and ran her hand over his fringe, nodding she pulled his head down to kiss her. He purred and rested his hand on her hip, no further intentions other than to continue the heart soothing and mind easing affection. Sleep was a much required asset at the moment, they’d tackle the task of other lodgings in the morning.

            “Okay, so… now we need to find somewhere else to stay…” sighed Gaien as he pulled over into a fast food parking lot. He pulled up his omni-tool and started searching, all while Sterling just watched him. Her expression soft, and a little worried.   
            “Let’s stay with my mother.” she declared.  
            “No.”  
            “Why not?”  
            “He can get in there far too easily; the last thing I want is to walk into the kitchen and find him raping you. I will probably lose all forms of sanity.” he keened to her, “I can’t, I just…”  
            “Gaien?” her voice soft and a little scared.   
            He looked at her, “Yeah?”  
            “If he did… if he hurt me again… would you leave?” she asked.   
            The way he seemed to puff up with fear frightened Sterling, “NO!” he cried. “Spirits! Sterling no! I wouldn’t ever leave you!” he shoved the arm of his seat up and grabbed her face, his head coming against hers and pressing firmly. “We’re bonded, you’re my bond mate. I will forever and only love you.”  
            She nodded and held his hands, her nose now red and her eyes watery, “I’m sorry…”  
            “For what my mate?” he asked, his voice hushed and tender.  
            “For being such a mess, for bringing you into such a mess.” she hiccupped and sniffled, “Maybe we shouldn’t have ever been together…”   
            He wore a look of shock on his face as he pulled away just a few inches, “Do…” he stopped and swallowed thickly, his voice wavering just a little, “Do you feel that way? That we’re better off apart?”   
            “It’d be better for you.” she keened, “No more crazy wife with all the baggage. No more annoying in-laws. No more dram-”  
            “No more love, no more light, no more happiness…” he whispered to her as he cut her off. “No more waking up in the morning and having you close. No more laughing fits. No more jokes. No more matching outfits. No more…” he dropped off then and let go of her face, unable to look at her, “No more reasons to live.”  
            Her eyes examined his face as she wiped her cheeks with the heels of her palms. She’d forgotten he didn’t have anything; he hadn’t had anything until her. Whilst others would probably be put off with such a declaration, or worry for his sanity; she just swallowed thickly and reached for his hand.   
            He couldn’t look at her as he started feeling small, and as if he was being needy and demanding, “I love you Sterling. If you really don’t want to be with me anymore… I will go no fighting or fuss.” his hand came up and touched the bite mark he had on his neck, healed and scarred over with medigel. “If that’s what you really want.”  
            She sighed and looked at his synthetic hand, taking it. “I’m a bad wife…” she smiled weakly and moved her hand so she could lace her fingers with his. “Gaien.”  
            He still didn’t look at her, mandibles pulled tight to his face as he wore a broken expression.   
            “Gaien.”  
            He finally turned and looked at her, unable to meet her eyes for more than a second however. Looking at their hands he swallowed thickly and tried to calm himself.   
            “I don’t want you to leave.”   
            He looked up at her.   
            “I married you because I love you. I have never loved anyone like I have you, and I never will. You’re my bondmate, I’m not turian but my heart feels just as deeply for you as yours does me.” straining, she managed to push her forehead against his.   
            He hesitated for a short moment, but pressed against her firmly, marking her with his scent whilst at it. With a shaking voice he spoke, “Don’t ever say that again okay?”  
            “I won’t.”  
            “Good, because the idea of living a life without you really is too much for me.” he choked on his words a little and rose his real hand to cup her face. “To finally have something so precious to me, and then to lose it… I’m not a strong person.”  
            “Yes you are.” she sighed, tilting her head so her lips could ghost against his mouth plates. “My Hero.”  
            He smirked and nipped lightly at her lower lip, “If you say so.”  
            “I do.”  
            “Happy wife happy life?”  
            “Look at you! So smart too.” she grinned before seeking his tongue with her own, he gladly reciprocated, a once small sad sound turning into a happy and content rumble. To him she was worth whatever life had to throw at them.


	24. Kitchen Kisses

            “Oh! I’m so glad you decided to stay here with me!” smiled Amelia as she chattered away. Gaien was giving a forced smile as he looked at his wife, pleading for her to help. As friendly as Amelia was, Gaien was still not all that comfortable with her; especially when she was talking about how the two of them could spend all their time with her.   
            “It’s just until we can get jobs and find ourselves a place.” said Sterling as she looked up at Gaien and gave him a sweet smile. “We appreciate it all the same mum.” she added as Amelia took a bag from Gaien and rushed into Sterling’s old room.   
            The younger woman walked in and looked around it, a strong feeling of uneasiness filled her and she started to pick at her cuticles. Her husband looked at her and walked over, his hands taking hers. Lilac eyes met brown and he gave a small smile. It didn’t take a scientist to guess why she was uncomfortable there. However they didn’t have much of a choice, Gaien however would chase away any bad memory and nightmare, leave her with only warm feelings again.   
            Amelia was about to ask a question as she turned around, seeing her daughter gaze up at her very tall alien husband. The mother smiled softly and watched them, “You two are very cute together.” she finally said. She could see it on their faces, even Gaien’s, how much they loved each other.   
            “You think so?” asked Gaien softly, not looking away from the beautiful brown eyes of his mate, “Me too.”  
            “Good, I will admit, this wasn’t expected. However, as long as Sterling is happy I am happy.” Amelia grinned as she opened a bag and pulled out a bunch of what she was assuming where Gaien’s shirts; they seemed way too long and large to be her daughter’s clothes.   
            “I am happy.” Sterling smiled up at her mate, looking at him as if he were the very man who put the stars in the sky. In her world, he was.  
            He chuffed at her before leaning down and nuzzling his head against hers. Sterling closed her eyes and leaned up into it, a contented sigh leaving her. As long as she had her Gaien, she was happy.

            Sterling stood in her mother’s kitchen, her hands working at peeling a large onion like vegetable, which would be part of her husband’s dinner. A small smile sat on her face, she was content with how this had turned out.   
            Years ago, she would have never guessed that she would actually be married and enjoying the domestic life this much. She’d always assumed she’d either be killed by Roy or kill herself. That or serve out her life in the military, die in some sort of fire fight.   
            However, now she had a husband. He wasn’t human, and that made it all the better for her. Gaien was sweet, caring, and just strange enough for her to not feel that fear that always itched in the back of her mind. They had both been loners, both had been tired of being alone, and both found comfort in each other. At the time they hadn’t ever imagined that it could all turn into something so… good.   
            “Whatcha doin’?” asked Amelia as she walked into the kitchen and looked at her daughter. The woman was holding a huge black cat, who seemed very happy to be held.   
            Sterling turned and looked at her mother; “Peeling a jool root.” she smiled softly.   
            “A what?”   
            “Turian vegetable.”  
            “They eat vegetables?” asked Amelia shocked; she had seen Gaien’s teeth many times by now. Needless to say they weren’t made for vegetables.   
            “Mmmhmm, they mostly eat meat, but they do have a full culinary culture mum.” she chuckled softly while putting a peeled root in the pot next to her and starting another one. “Turians are surprisingly a lot like us, very different, but not as much as people like to think.”   
            “Oh?” asked Amelia as she came up and watched her daughter’s scarred hands. There was a long silence as Sterling just went back to focusing on her task, still wearing a contented smile and now humming a tune under her breath.   
            Her mother watched her face, feeling a calmness that had never came over her before. Her daughter had suffered more pain than most young women should. The little girl who ran around catching frogs in a sundress and a long brown ponytail had grown into someone who had stood through so many storms. She’d married a good man, he wasn’t human, but he was a good man none the less.   
            “Where’s Gaien?” asked Sterling after several long moments.   
            “Oh, he saw me trying to balance on the step stool and change the light bulbs on the security lights.” smiled Amelia as she nodded out the window. Gaien strode into view with a box of bulbs under his arm.   
            He seemed oddly fascinated at the old fashioned lighting that Amelia had in her yard; this displayed by how he would scan everything and then look interested. A huge grey cat sat on the fence post and watched him curiously, when Gaien noticed be looked at it and chirped help. The cat just stared at him before walking away nonchalantly.   
            “He likes it here…” observed Sterling as she watched him.   
            Amelia looked at her child and then her son-in-law, “How can you tell?”  
            “Gaien’s not someone who usually does things just because. There has to be a reason or payment.” Placing the pot filled with filtered water and the jool roots on the stove she set it to start cooking. “He’s not typically this friendly either mum, he can be a handful, a complete asshole, and someone’s worst nightmare very easily. He’s doing his best to please you and I, trying to carve himself a place here with us.”  
            “But… he already has a place. You know we don’t do that whole “in-law” thing.” Amelia shrugged.   
            “The family hasn’t been very kind to him mum. Nor have they me because I chose him and I will always choose him.”   
            “Well he has a place here, with me. You married him, you’re happy, he is a good guy and helpful. You two will always have a home here if you wish. You and he are _both_ my family.” she insisted.   
            “You should tell him that, subtly.” laughed the younger woman as she pulled some purple meat from the fridge. “He still worries that something will happen.”  
            “Sterling?”  
            “Yes mum?”  
            “What exactly did happen to you? What happened to make you no longer love Roy?” asked Amelia as she stroked the back of the cat in her arms and sat at the kitchen table. “Not that I want you with him, like I said you’re happy with Gaien and I like him. I just… you were never clear as to what happened.   
            Sterling froze and looked at the meat in her hands, her expression turning pained and sad. Taking a deep breath, she moved to speak, turning slightly before she was cut off; the voice of her mate ringing.   
            “He hurt her.” was what Gaien said gently. “That guy doesn’t understand just how wonderful and precious Sterling is.”   
            He moved quickly, and surprisingly silent in his steps as he went to his wife’s side and looked at her worriedly. She looked up at him, her face tilting into his hand as he caressed her cheek. His look was asking her permission to talk instead of her, she looked thankful and visibly sighed, though still tense.   
            “Hurt her?”  
            “He took her without her consent, tortured her, repeatedly.” Gaien keened out, his eyes never leaving Sterling’s face. “Everything that could be done to her to break her was…”   
            “How… how did you know we were talking about this?”   
            “Bonded to her, had a feeling she was uncomfortable.” He shrugged, “Turian thing.”  
            “It comes in handy.” she smiled gently, “I can always count on you to always be my hero.”  
            Gaien laughed and tilted his head, looking down at her lovingly, “I’m only a hero in your eyes baby.”  
            “Aren’t mine the only eyes that matter?” she asked while taking a step closer to him, he leaned in and smirked.   
            His chest was rumbling like thunder, his mouth just barely away from her lips, “Only you.” She smiled and then kissed him, her hands putting down the package of meat and wrapping her arms around his neck. Purring loudly he moved his hands to grip her hips and deepen her kiss.   
            “Okay! Let’s not give the momma a show!” cried Amelia as she got up and hurried from the room. “Exhibitionists!” she cried from the other room.  
            Gaien chuckled against his wife’s mouth as she gave a light giggle, however he didn’t pull away. He just kissed her more passionately as strange as it was considering he had no lips. Nothing felt better than this though, being close to his wife and knowing how happy she was with him.   
            “I love you, Mr. Reyes.” breathed Sterling as she rested her nose bridge against his.  
            Gaien smiled widely, his mandibles flared as wide as they could go, “I love you too, Mrs. Reyes.” He breathed as he nuzzled against her face.   
            They did, they loved each other more than anyone else could comprehend.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoy, please leave a comment! I love reading them. I hope this story will entertain all those who read it as much as I enjoy writing it.  
> -I am writing this without a Beta and to the best of my abilities. I always appreciate the friendly pointer when it comes to showing me grammatical and spelling errors!


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